Palmetto State News

South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson has announced the arrest of William Daniel Mayes, a 54-year-old resident of Aiken, South Carolina. Mayes faces seven charges related to the sexual exploitation of minors. The arrest was carried out by Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force investigators from the Aiken County Sheriff's Office. Other agencies involved in the investigation include the Attorney General's Office, S.C. Probation, Parole and Pardon Services, and Homeland Security Investigations.

The investigation began after receiving a CyberTipline report from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC). According to investigators, Mayes recorded a person without their consent and possessed files containing child sexual abuse material.

Mayes was taken into custody on October 29, 2024. He is charged with five counts of third-degree sexual exploitation of a minor (§16-15-410), which is a felony that carries up to ten years imprisonment per count. Additionally, he faces two counts of voyeurism (§16-17-470(B)), classified as misdemeanors punishable by up to three years imprisonment for each first offense.

The prosecution will be handled 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 used instead of "pornography" to more accurately describe these crimes. This terminology shift reflects an understanding that children cannot consent to such activities.