Bluffton man charged with child sex crimes to be prosecuted by Attorney General’s office
A Bluffton man accused of owning and distributing child sexual abuse material will be prosecuted by the Attorney General’s Office, according to a Friday news release.
Donald Charles King, 71, of Bluffton, was charged Friday morning with one second-degree count and one third-degree count of sexual exploitation of a minor, Beaufort County jail records show.
Police have accused King of owning and distributing child sexual abuse material, more widely known as child pornography. Under South Carolina law, both of his charges are considered felonies, with each punishable by up to 10 years in prison.
King’s arrest was part of the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, a statewide joint operation between the Attorney General’s Office and local law enforcement. Investigators began looking into King after receiving an online tip.
Task force members from the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office and the Charleston Police Department carried out King’s arrest, according to the news release. The Attorney General’s Office will prosecute his case.
As of 8 a.m. Monday morning, King was in custody at the Beaufort County Detention Center.
