Another SC official snared in a child porn case. Many children allegedly involved
Kevin Hedgpeth, mayor pro tem on the Hanahan city council, has been arrested for possession and production of child sexual abuse material, also known as child porn.
Hedgpeth, 48, is the third South Carolina public official to face charges related to the sexual abuse of children in the last year.
But Hedgpeth’s alleged illegal activity is different in that it concerns numerous actual children he solicited to help him make child sex videos, not video or digital files of abuse, according to court records.
A 16-page criminal complaint filed against Hedgpeth contains numerous alleged interactions between Hedgpeth and various minor boys and girls directing them to perform sex acts and then sending money through the internet to pay them.
The children involved in the Hedgpeth allegations range from age nine into the teens, according to a 16-page criminal complaint in the case.
“Hedgpeth has paid numerous minors who have been identified as likely victims of child sex abuse,” according to a press release by the U.S. Attorney’s office in Columbia.
“From December 2021 to present, Hedgpeth’s Cash App and PayPal accounts paid 47 accounts that were either associated with minors or suspected of selling content. The accounts Hedgpeth paid include minors in the Charleston, South Carolina area,” the U.S. Attorney’s office said.
The complaint, written by a special agent of Homeland Security Investigations, noted that “Hedgpeth holds a position of public trust as a member of the Hanahan, SC City Council. Hedgpeth also serves as the Mayor Pro Tem.”
Criminals who abuse positions of public trust are subject to enhanced penalties after being found guilty and on being sentenced.
The investigation into Hedgpeth’s activities began in earnest in January with information from New York State matched with information of suspicious activity on an internet connection in South Carolina, the complaint said.
Hedgpeth faces a minimum of 15 years in federal prison, a maximum of 30 years, lifetime supervision by the U.S. Probation Office, plus sex offender registration requirements.
Hanahan, a small city in Berkeley County, is a bedroom community of Charleston and has a population of some 20,000 people.
The city released a statement on its Facebook page saying, “Effective immediately, Mr. Hedgpeth’s access to City Hall facilities, City resources, and any municipal technology resources, has been revoked. We are taking every precaution to ensure that no city infrastructure was compromised in any way.”
The city added, “Our office is fully cooperating with Homeland Security Investigations and all relevant law enforcement agencies, and we will continue to provide them with whatever assistance they require as this investigation proceeds.”
Hedgpeth had an initial hearing at the Charleston federal courthouse at 12:15 p.m. Tuesday before Magistrate Judge Mary Gordon Baker. At the request of the U.S. Attorney’s office, he is held without bond. On Monday, he will have the opportunity for a detention hearing, where he can contest his indefinite jailing and seek a bond.
Currently, assistant federal public defender Charles Cochran has been appointed to represent Hedgpeth. Cochran declined comment.
The case is being investigated by Homeland Security Investigations.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Dean Secor and Elliott Daniels are prosecuting the case.
Other South Carolina public officials caught in child sex abuse cases are former state Rep. R.J. May, R-Lexington, who is now serving 17 years in federal prison for distributing child sex abuse images and former longtime Charleston County Magistrate James Gosnell, who is charged with trading in child sex abuse images.
Hedgpeth’s history with federal agents
“Hedgpeth had a history of interaction with federal agents,” a complaint in his case said.
In April 2024, Hedgpeth and his cell phone were subjects of a border search at Port Canaveral Florida after he had debarked from a cruise ship. At that time, he was sent “for secondary inspection” by Customs and Border Protection officers.
The complaint did not say why Hedgpeth was the subject of a border search.
During the secondary inspection on the cell phone, the border agents found what they believed was child pornography, and that agency contacted Homeland Security Investigations to assist.
When Homeland Security Investigations arrived, Hedgpeth identified himself as an elected official who also worked at the office of his church.
“Hedgpeth said he liked to look at girls in bikinis and that the pictures in question were not from anyone on the ship but instead were from the internet. Hedgpeth stated he obtained the images on Instagram, Snapchat, and Facebook,” the complaint said.
“During the interview, Hedgpeth was asked about multiple applications on his phone, including a calculator app known to agents as being used to hide contraband such as child pornography. Hedgpeth said he had pictures of girls and boys, and he provided the agent with the passcode to the applications,” the complaint said.
“Hedgpeth said the pictures were of girls in bikinis or nude, that he did not want his wife to see them, and that he paid for some of the photos,” the complaint said.
“HSI reviewed images on Hedgpeth’s phone and determined the girls in bikinis were likely adults, while some images were age difficult in that subjects appeared to be teenagers who may be under or over 18. Hedgpeth was allowed to return into the United States without arrest,” the complaint said.
Hedgpeth was supposed to attend a regular meeting of the Hanahan City Council on Tuesday night.
Items on the agenda include the Pledge of Allegiance and recognition of the city employee of the month. Hedgpeth will miss the meeting.
In addition to his position as a Hanahan elected official, Hanahan has a business applications analyst position with Positec, a Ladson-based part of a global tool manufacturing company, according to his Linked In profile. His education includes a 2004 bachelor of science degree from the University of North Carolina in Charlotte.
U.S. Attorney Bryan Stirling told reporters in Charleston outside the federal courthouse on Tuesday that the allegations against Hedgpeth were “deeply troubling .... You’ll be held accountable if you exploit minors in South Carolina,” he said.
“This is an active and ongoing investigation,” Stirling said, declining further comment.
The city of Hanahan also said on Facebook, “We are deeply shocked and saddened by the arrest of Councilman and Mayor Pro Tem Kevin Hedgpeth on charges related to child pornography. There are no words adequate to express how horrifying these allegations are, and our hearts go out to the victims and families affected by these unconscionable crimes.”
Earlier this month, the FBI made another child porn case against a Myrtle Beach mental health counselor, Robert McCarthy. Acting on a tip that originated in the Netherlands, the FBI arrested McCarthy on charges of possession of child pornography. He is being held pending trial.
Investigators in the Hedgpeth case are seeking the public’s help to identify more possible victims. If you have relevant information to report, please contact HSI at Charleston_exploitationtips@hsi.dhs.gov by telephone at 866-DHS-2-ICE (866-347-2423), or through the online tip form at https://www.ice.gov/webform/ice-tip-form.
This story was originally published April 14, 2026 at 11:51 AM with the headline "Another SC official snared in a child porn case. Many children allegedly involved."