South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson has announced the arrest of Timothy Kent Hart, 41, from Newberry, South Carolina, on five charges related to the sexual exploitation of minors. The arrest was carried out by Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force investigators with the Newberry County Sheriff’s Office. The investigation also involved members of the Attorney General’s Office and Homeland Security Investigations, both part of the state’s ICAC Task Force.
The investigation began after a CyberTipline report from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) led authorities to Hart. According to investigators, Hart possessed files containing child sexual abuse material.
Hart was taken into custody on September 26, 2025. He faces five counts of sexual exploitation of a minor in the third degree (§16-15-410), which is classified as a felony offense. Each count carries a potential sentence of up to 10 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 press release notes that child sexual abuse material (CSAM) is considered a more accurate term than “child pornography,” as it reflects the abusive nature of these crimes and avoids implying consent by minors. Internationally, CSAM is increasingly replacing older terminology for this reason.
