A 77-year-old Clarendon County man has been arrested on a charge of sexual exploitation of a minor following an investigation by the South Carolina Attorney General's Office.
George Wells Jr. of Alcolu was arrested Oct. 14 and charged with one count of third-degree sexual exploitation of a minor, according to Attorney General Alan Wilson.
The investigation began after authorities received a CyberTipline report from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children that led investigators to Wells. Authorities allege Wells possessed files containing child sexual abuse material.
Investigators with the Attorney General's Office Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force made the arrest. The Clarendon County Sheriff's Office, which is also a member of the state's task force, and the Manning Police Department assisted with the investigation.
Third-degree sexual exploitation of a minor is a felony punishable by up to 10 years in prison under South Carolina law.
The Attorney General's Office will prosecute the case.
