South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson has announced the arrest of Jaylen Patrick Thomas, a 24-year-old resident of Ladson, South Carolina. Thomas faces one charge related to the sexual exploitation of minors. The Dorchester County Sheriff’s Office, part of the Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force, made the arrest with assistance from investigators in the Attorney General’s Office.
The investigation began after a CyberTipline report was received from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC). According to investigators, Thomas is accused of distributing files containing child sexual abuse material.
Thomas was taken into custody on November 21, 2025. He has been charged with one count of second-degree sexual exploitation of a minor under South Carolina law (ยง16-15-405), which is classified as a felony and carries a maximum penalty of up to ten years in prison.
The Attorney General’s Office will prosecute this case.
Attorney General Wilson stated: “All defendants are presumed innocent unless and until they are proven guilty in a court of law.”
The term “child sexual abuse material” (CSAM) is now used instead of “child pornography” because it more accurately describes these crimes and avoids implying that children could consent to such acts. This change reflects global efforts to use terminology that better represents the abusive nature of these offenses.
