South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson announced on May 6 the arrest of Michael Mickels, Jr., 18, of Fredericksburg, Virginia, on two charges related to the sexual exploitation of a minor. The arrest was made by Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force investigators with the Lexington County Sheriff’s Department, with assistance from the Virginia State Police.
The case is significant as it involves alleged online crimes targeting minors and highlights law enforcement collaboration across state lines. According to investigators, Mickels solicited a minor for sex and encouraged them to produce child sexual abuse material.
Mickels was arrested on May 3 and faces one count of criminal solicitation of a minor under South Carolina law—a felony punishable by up to ten years in prison—and one count of first-degree sexual exploitation of a minor, which carries a potential sentence of up to twenty years imprisonment. The Attorney General’s Office will prosecute the case.
Wilson said all defendants are presumed innocent unless and until they are proven guilty in court. “Child sexual abuse material, or CSAM, is a more accurate reflection of the material involved in these heinous and abusive crimes. ‘Pornography’ can imply the child was a consenting participant. Globally, the term child pornography is being replaced by CSAM for this reason,” Wilson said.
The South Carolina Attorney General supports victims through advocacy and resources while operating as the state’s primary legal advocate and enforcer handling prosecutions and regulations across South Carolina according to the official website. The office also collaborates with state law enforcement agencies on criminal prosecutions and enforces laws related to securities and consumer protection.
