2 Beaufort County men arrested on slew of child pornography charges
Editor’s note: If you or someone you know has been affected by sexual abuse, 24-hour help can be found by calling Hopeful Horizons at 843-770-1070.
The South Carolina Attorney General’s Office plans to prosecute two Beaufort County men arrested this week on charges related to child sexual abuse material. Christopher Scott Hershberger, 67, of Burton, was charged Tuesday with 10 counts of sexual exploitation of a minor. Five of those were second-degree and the remaining five were third-degree.
Brandon Scott Baker, 38, of St. Helena Island, was charged Tuesday with three counts of sexual exploitation of a minor. Two counts were third-degree and one was second-degree, according to inmate records.
Authorities typically define the third-degree charge as possessing CSAM, more commonly known as child pornography, while the second-degree charge is used for defendants accused of digitally uploading or receiving the material. Each count corresponds with one image or video found by investigators.
It was unclear if the two investigations were connected, and further details about the arrests were unknown as of Wednesday afternoon. Robert Kittle, a spokesperson for the SCAG, said on Tuesday his office had not yet received paperwork for the cases.
Hershberger received a $10,000 bond for each third-degree count and a $20,000 bond for each second-degree count, totaling $150,000. Baker’s individual bond amounts were higher — $25,000 for third-degree and $50,000 for second degree — bringing his total to $100,000.
Both charges are felonies under South Carolina law, and both are punishable by a maximum of 10 years in prison. The second-degree charge carries a two-year minimum sentence.
As of noon Wednesday, both Hershberger and Baker remained in custody at the Beaufort County Detention Center.
