South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson has announced the arrest of three men from Beaufort County on charges related to the sexual exploitation of minors. The arrests, which are not connected to each other, were carried out by Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force investigators from the Attorney General’s Office. Additional support came from the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office, Homeland Security Investigations, Charleston County Sheriff’s Office, and Mount Pleasant Police Department—all members of South Carolina’s ICAC Task Force.
The investigation began after CyberTipline reports were received from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC). According to investigators, Christopher Scott Hershberger, 67, of Beaufort; Brandon Scott Baker, 38, of St. Helena Island; and Donald Eugene Pease, 61, of Hilton Head Island were identified as suspects. Authorities allege that Hershberger and Baker both distributed and possessed child sexual abuse material (CSAM), while Pease is accused of distributing such material.
Hershberger was arrested on January 27, 2026. He faces five counts of sexual exploitation of a minor in the second degree (§16-15-405), each carrying up to ten years in prison if convicted. He also faces five counts in the third degree (§16-15-410), which also carry up to ten years imprisonment per count.
Baker was arrested on January 27 as well. He is charged with one count of second-degree sexual exploitation of a minor (§16-15-405) and two counts in the third degree (§16-15-410). Each charge carries a potential sentence of up to ten years imprisonment.
Pease was taken into custody on January 28, 2026. He has been charged with two counts of second-degree sexual exploitation of a minor (§16-15-405), each punishable by up to ten years in prison.
All cases will be prosecuted by the Attorney General’s Office.
Attorney General Wilson stated: “All defendants are presumed innocent unless and until they are proven guilty in a court of law.”
The term “child sexual abuse material” or CSAM is used instead of “child pornography” because it more accurately describes materials involving these crimes. The word “pornography” can wrongly suggest that children consented to participate; therefore, CSAM is being adopted globally for clarity.
