Palmetto State News

South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson has announced the arrest of Wesley Kevin Laughlin, a 45-year-old resident of Hodges, S.C., on charges related to the sexual exploitation of a minor. The arrest was carried out by investigators from the Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force at the Greenwood County Sheriff's Office, with assistance from the Attorney General's Office.

The investigation into Laughlin began following a CyberTipline report from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC). According to investigators, Laughlin was found to have distributed and possessed files containing child sexual abuse material.

Laughlin was taken into custody on December 4, 2024. He faces one count of second-degree sexual exploitation of a minor (§16-15-405), which is a felony that can result in up to 10 years in prison. Additionally, he is charged with one count of third-degree sexual exploitation of a minor (§16-15-410), also punishable by up to 10 years imprisonment.

The Attorney General's Office will handle prosecution in 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 as it more accurately describes the nature of these crimes compared to "pornography," which may imply consent on part of the child involved. Globally, there is a shift towards using CSAM for this reason.