Anderson County detectives have identified numerous child predators lurking behind a computer screen and others willing to travel during an undercover online chat operation.
Anderson County detectives with the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (ICAC) led a charge involving state, local and federal partners to pose as young children online, exposing suspects who were willing to sexually exploit them within chatrooms.
The targeted effort deemed “Operation Hightower,” resulted in more than 15 suspects identified; of those 11 have been officially charged and arrested.
Decoy chatters were shocked when four suspects were even willing to travel to a child, ultimately meeting ACSO deputies instead.
One of those was a Louisville, MS man detectives arrested after he agreed to meet a parent and her four-year-old daughter, offering to pay to sexually assault the toddler at a predetermined location.
The four-day proactive chat operation rounded up local suspects, and others reaching beyond state lines in Oklahoma and Mississippi, preventing a child victim from future abuse.
Among those charged were the following:
Donald Cutshaw, 50 of Greenville charged with: Criminal Solicitation of a Minor; 2x Dissemination, Procuring or Promoting Obscenity; 2x Sexual Exploitation of a Minor, 1st Degree.
Timothy Dickson, 51, of Laurens charged with: Criminal Solicitation of a Minor; 5x Dissemination, Procuring or Promoting Obscenity; Sexual Exploitation of a Minor, 2nd Degree.
Patrick Edwards, 30, of Saluda, NC charged with Dissemination of Obscene Material; Sexual Exploitation of a Minor, 1st Degree.
Jerry Fraizer IV, 27, of Anderson charged with: Criminal Solicitation of a Minor; Criminal Sexual Conduct with a Minor or Attempt – 2nd Degree.
Karl Green, 42, of Seneca charged with: 5x Sexual Exploitation of a Minor, 2nd Degree.
Wilbur Harris, 34, of Anderson charged with: Criminal Solicitation of a Minor; Sexual Exploitation of a Minor, 1st Degree; Criminal Sexual Conduct with a Minor or Attempt, 2nd Degree.
Kris Johnson, 39, of Liberty charged with Criminal Solicitation of a Minor; Criminal Sexual Conduct with a Minor or Attempt, 2nd Degree.
Timothy Torongeau, 38, of Travelers Rest charged with: Criminal Solicitation of a Minor.
Jeffery Miles, 40, Louisville, MS charged with: Sexual Exploitation of a Minor, 2nd Degree
Victor Pressley, 67, of Belton charged with: Criminal Solicitation of a Minor; Dissemination of Obscene Material to a Person Under 18 Years of Age.
Jeffery Smith, 67, of Greer charged with: 2x Prompting the Prostitution of a Minor; Criminal Sexual Conduct with a Minor or Attempt, 1st Degree; Criminal Sexual Conduct with a Minor or Attempt, 2nd Degree
In total, detectives identified more than 40 online predators.
Anderson County Sheriff Chad McBride pointed out the importance of internet safety and how quickly one chatroom can serve as a breeding ground for sexual abuse as offenders corner and groom children.
“Protecting our children from online predators requires constant vigilance, open communication, and proactive efforts by families, communities, and law enforcement to ensure their safety in digital spaces, Sheriff McBride said.
The Anderson County Sheriff’s Office worked in collaboration with Anderson City Police Department, Charleston County Sheriff’s Office, Greenville County Sheriff’s Office, South Carolina Department of Corrections, Abbeville City Police, U.S. Secret Service, Homeland Security, FBI and the South Carolina Attorney General’s Office to make the arrests
All of these cases will be prosecuted by the South Carolina Attorney General’s Office.
Anderson County detectives have identified numerous child predators lurking behind a computer screen and others willing to travel during an undercover online chat operation.
Anderson County detectives with the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (ICAC) led a charge involving state, local and federal partners to pose as young children online, exposing suspects who were willing to sexually exploit them within chatrooms.
The targeted effort deemed “Operation Hightower,” resulted in more than 15 suspects identified; of those 11 have been officially charged and arrested.
Decoy chatters were shocked when four suspects were even willing to travel to a child, ultimately meeting ACSO deputies instead.
One of those was a Louisville, MS man detectives arrested after he agreed to meet a parent and her four-year-old daughter, offering to pay to sexually assault the toddler at a predetermined location.
The four-day proactive chat operation rounded up local suspects, and others reaching beyond state lines in Oklahoma and Mississippi, preventing a child victim from future abuse.
Among those charged were the following:
Donald Cutshaw, 50 of Greenville charged with: Criminal Solicitation of a Minor; 2x Dissemination, Procuring or Promoting Obscenity; 2x Sexual Exploitation of a Minor, 1st Degree.
Timothy Dickson, 51, of Laurens charged with: Criminal Solicitation of a Minor; 5x Dissemination, Procuring or Promoting Obscenity; Sexual Exploitation of a Minor, 2nd Degree.
Patrick Edwards, 30, of Saluda, NC charged with Dissemination of Obscene Material; Sexual Exploitation of a Minor, 1st Degree.
Jerry Fraizer IV, 27, of Anderson charged with: Criminal Solicitation of a Minor; Criminal Sexual Conduct with a Minor or Attempt – 2nd Degree.
Karl Green, 42, of Seneca charged with: 5x Sexual Exploitation of a Minor, 2nd Degree.
Wilbur Harris, 34, of Anderson charged with: Criminal Solicitation of a Minor; Sexual Exploitation of a Minor, 1st Degree; Criminal Sexual Conduct with a Minor or Attempt, 2nd Degree.
Kris Johnson, 39, of Liberty charged with Criminal Solicitation of a Minor; Criminal Sexual Conduct with a Minor or Attempt, 2nd Degree.
Timothy Torongeau, 38, of Travelers Rest charged with: Criminal Solicitation of a Minor.
Jeffery Miles, 40, Louisville, MS charged with: Sexual Exploitation of a Minor, 2nd Degree
Victor Pressley, 67, of Belton charged with: Criminal Solicitation of a Minor; Dissemination of Obscene Material to a Person Under 18 Years of Age.
Jeffery Smith, 67, of Greer charged with: 2x Prompting the Prostitution of a Minor; Criminal Sexual Conduct with a Minor or Attempt, 1st Degree; Criminal Sexual Conduct with a Minor or Attempt, 2nd Degree
In total, detectives identified more than 40 online predators.
Anderson County Sheriff Chad McBride pointed out the importance of internet safety and how quickly one chatroom can serve as a breeding ground for sexual abuse as offenders corner and groom children.
“Protecting our children from online predators requires constant vigilance, open communication, and proactive efforts by families, communities, and law enforcement to ensure their safety in digital spaces, Sheriff McBride said.
The Anderson County Sheriff’s Office worked in collaboration with Anderson City Police Department, Charleston County Sheriff’s Office, Greenville County Sheriff’s Office, South Carolina Department of Corrections, Abbeville City Police, U.S. Secret Service, Homeland Security, FBI and the South Carolina Attorney General’s Office to make the arrests
All of these cases will be prosecuted by the South Carolina Attorney General’s Office.
