Palmetto State News

South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson has announced the arrest of George Conner Edd, a 19-year-old from North Myrtle Beach. The arrest is linked to charges involving the sexual exploitation of minors. The Horry County Sheriff's Office, part of the Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force, conducted the arrest with assistance from investigators at the Attorney General's Office.

The investigation began after a CyberTipline report was received from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC). This led investigators to Edd, who is alleged to have possessed files containing child sexual abuse material.

Edd was taken into custody on December 11, 2024. He faces one count of third-degree sexual exploitation of a minor (§16-15-410), which is classified as a felony offense and 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 until proven guilty in court.

The term "child sexual abuse material" (CSAM) is used instead of "child pornography" because it more accurately describes the nature of these crimes. The latter term can misleadingly suggest that children involved were willing participants. Globally, CSAM is replacing older terminology for this reason.