Palmetto State News

South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson has announced the arrest of Jared Allen Harmon, a 22-year-old resident of Lexington, South Carolina. Harmon faces five charges related to the sexual exploitation of minors. The arrest was made by Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force investigators from the Lexington County Sheriff's Department, with assistance from 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, Harmon is accused of distributing files containing child sexual abuse material.

Harmon was taken into custody on October 24, 2024. He has been charged with five counts of second-degree sexual exploitation of a minor (§16-15-405), which is classified as a felony offense. Each count carries a potential penalty 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."

The term "child sexual abuse material" or CSAM is being used instead of "child pornography" to more accurately describe these crimes. The previous term could suggest that children were consenting participants, which is not the case.