Palmetto State News

South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson has announced the arrest of George Charles Lapierre, Jr., a 40-year-old resident of Anderson, South Carolina. Lapierre faces one charge related to the sexual exploitation of a minor. The arrest was made by Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force investigators from the Anderson Police Department. Additional support in the investigation came from the Attorney General's Office and the Anderson County Sheriff's Office, both members of the state's ICAC Task Force.

The investigation began after receiving a CyberTipline report from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), which directed authorities to Lapierre. According to investigators, Lapierre is accused of distributing files containing child sexual abuse material.

Lapierre was taken into custody on October 15, 2024. He has been charged with one count of second-degree sexual exploitation of a minor under section §16-15-405, which is classified as a felony offense carrying a potential sentence of up to ten years in prison.

The case will be prosecuted by the Attorney General's Office. Attorney General Wilson emphasized that "all defendants are presumed innocent unless and until they are proven guilty in a court of law."

It is noted that child sexual abuse material (CSAM) provides a more accurate description of these crimes compared to terms like "pornography," which may imply consent by minors involved. Globally, there is a shift towards using CSAM to describe such materials accurately.