Palmetto State News

South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson announced the arrest of Justin Thomas Steadman, 41, of Columbia, S.C., on seven charges connected to the sexual exploitation of a minor. The arrest was made by Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force investigators with the Lexington Police Department.

Steadman is accused of soliciting and traveling to meet a person he believed to be a minor for sex, encouraging them to produce child sexual abuse material, and sending sexually explicit material to a person he believed to be a minor. He faces multiple charges, including criminal solicitation of a minor, attempted criminal sexual conduct with a minor, sexual exploitation of a minor, and dissemination of obscene material to a person under the age of eighteen.

Attorney General Wilson emphasized the seriousness of the charges, stating, "All defendants are presumed innocent unless and until they are proven guilty in a court of law." Additionally, he highlighted the importance of using the term "child sexual abuse material" instead of "child pornography" to accurately reflect the nature of the crimes involved.

The case against Steadman will be prosecuted by the Attorney General's Office.