Palmetto State News

South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson has announced the arrest of Zachary Collins Woodward, a 30-year-old resident of Lexington, South Carolina. The arrest is in connection with six charges related to the sexual exploitation of a minor. The investigation and subsequent arrest were conducted by Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force investigators from the Lexington County Sheriff's Department, with assistance from the Attorney General's Office.

The investigation was initiated following a CyberTipline report received from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC). According to investigators, Woodward was involved in distributing and possessing files containing child sexual abuse material.

Woodward was taken into custody on December 31, 2024. He faces two counts of second-degree sexual exploitation of a minor under §16-15-405, each carrying a potential sentence of up to ten years imprisonment. Additionally, he is charged with four counts of third-degree sexual exploitation of a minor under §16-15-410, which also carry penalties of up to ten years imprisonment per count.

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."

The term "child sexual abuse material" (CSAM) is used to describe these offenses as it more accurately reflects the nature of the crimes compared to "pornography," which may imply consent by minors involved. This terminology shift is part of a global effort to more accurately represent such crimes.