Bluffton man hit with 4 felony charges related to contacting minors online, police say
A Bluffton man was jailed after police accused him of sending sexually explicit messages to underage girls in other states. He was arrested on similar charges last fall.
Rio Dirk Mahea Galiza, 34, was charged Monday morning with four felony counts of sexual exploitation of a minor: one count in the first degree, one in the second degree and two in the third degree.
Under South Carolina law, first-degree sexual exploitation of a minor is defined as coercing or encouraging an underage person “to engage in sexual activity or appear in a state of sexually explicit nudity.” Second-degree charges involve the filming or duplication of child sexual abuse material — more commonly known as child pornography — while the third-degree offense entails the ownership of that material.
Galiza turned himself in Monday after learning that Beaufort County deputies had obtained his arrest warrants, according to Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Lt. Danny Allen. Investigators learned from out-of-state agencies that Galiza was allegedly messaging minors sexually explicit content on social media.
The case is part of the Attorney General’s Internet Crimes Against Children initiative, which includes the setup of sting operations to target suspected online predators.
Beaufort County court records show Galiza was previously arrested in October 2024 on four similar felony charges, including disseminating obscene material to a child 12 years old or younger and one count each of first-degree, second-degree and third-degree sexual exploitation of a minor. That case would also be prosecuted by the state Attorney General’s office.
All eight of Galiza’s charges remained pending. He was not listed in South Carolina’s sex offender registry, which includes those who have been convicted of a sex crime.
Galiza posted at least $3,000 in bail money on Monday, court records show.
If you or someone you know has been affected by sexual abuse, help can be found by calling Hopeful Horizons’ 24-hour support line at 843-770-1070.
This story was originally published April 8, 2025 at 11:06 AM.
