Palmetto State News

South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson has announced the arrest of Wesley Keith Zimmer, a 30-year-old resident of Fort Mill, South Carolina. Zimmer faces five charges related to the sexual exploitation of a minor. The arrest was carried out by Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force investigators from the York County Sheriff's Office. The investigation also involved assistance from the Attorney General's Office, Greenup County Sheriff's Office, and Russell Police Department in Kentucky.

The investigation began following a CyberTipline report from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), which led authorities to Zimmer. According to investigators, Zimmer is accused of producing child sexual abuse material, distributing and possessing such files, and sending sexually explicit images to a minor.

Zimmer was taken into custody on January 23, 2025. He faces one count of first-degree sexual exploitation of a minor (§16-15-395), punishable by up to 20 years in prison; one count of second-degree sexual exploitation of a minor (§16-15-405), with a potential sentence of up to 10 years; two counts of third-degree sexual exploitation of a minor (§16-15-410), each carrying up to 10 years imprisonment; and one count of disseminating obscene material to someone under eighteen (§16-15-345), also punishable by up to 10 years.

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.

* Child sexual abuse material (CSAM) is used instead of "pornography" as it more accurately describes these crimes without implying consent from minors.