Palmetto State News

South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson has announced the arrest of John Allen Geiser, a 63-year-old resident of Fort Mill, South Carolina. Geiser 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 York County Sheriff's Office, 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), leading investigators to Geiser. According to authorities, Geiser possessed files containing child sexual abuse material.

Geiser was taken into custody on November 7, 2024. He is charged with five counts of third-degree sexual exploitation of a minor under section §16-15-410. This felony offense carries a potential penalty of up to 10 years imprisonment for each count.

The Attorney General's Office will prosecute this case. 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" (CSAM) is used to accurately describe the nature of these crimes, as it avoids implying any consent by minors involved, unlike the term "pornography." Globally, CSAM is replacing older terminology for clarity and accuracy in legal contexts.