Palmetto State News

South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson has announced the arrest of Maston Arthur Williams, a 25-year-old resident of Johnsonville, South Carolina. Williams faces ten charges related to the sexual exploitation of minors. The arrest was carried out by Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force investigators from the Attorney General's Office. They were assisted by investigators from the Florence County Sheriff's Office and the U.S. Secret Service, both members of the state's ICAC Task Force.

The investigation began after receiving a CyberTipline report from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC). According to investigators, Williams engaged in criminal sexual conduct with a minor and was involved in manufacturing, distributing, and possessing child sexual abuse material.

Williams was taken into custody on December 11, 2024. He is charged with four counts of criminal sexual conduct with a minor in the first degree (§16-3-655(A)(1)). Additionally, he faces one count of first-degree sexual exploitation of a minor (§16-15-395), which carries a potential sentence of up to 20 years imprisonment; two counts of second-degree sexual exploitation of a minor (§16-15-405), each punishable by up to 10 years imprisonment; and three counts of third-degree sexual exploitation of a minor (§16-15-410), each also punishable by up to 10 years imprisonment.

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."

* Child sexual abuse material (CSAM) is considered a more accurate term for these crimes than "child pornography," as it better reflects the nature of the material involved. The term "pornography" can imply consent, which is not applicable in cases involving children. The shift towards using CSAM is part of a global effort to accurately describe such offenses.