South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson announced the arrest of James Austin Gillespie (age 31), of Lexington, on 12 charges connected to the sexual exploitation of a minor. Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force investigators with the Lexington County Sheriff’s Department made the arrest. Investigators with the Attorney General’s Office and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), both also members of the state’s ICAC Task Force, assisted with the investigation.

Investigators received a CyberTipline report from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) which led them to Gillespie.  Investigators state Gillespie distributed child sexual abuse material.  

Gillespie was arrested on Thursday.  He is charged with 12 counts of sexual exploitation of a minor, second degree, a felony offense punishable by up to 10 years imprisonment on each count.

This case will be prosecuted by the Attorney General’s Office.

Attorney General Wilson stressed all defendants are presumed innocent unless and until they are proven guilty in a court of law.