South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson announced the arrests of Mark Edward Lamothe, 62, from Charleston, and Caleb Anthony Swibaker, 21, from Summerville. Both individuals face a total of 13 charges related to the sexual exploitation of minors. The Charleston Police Department’s Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force led the arrests in these unrelated cases. Other agencies involved included the South Carolina Attorney General’s Office, Summerville Police Department, and Homeland Security Investigations, all members of the state’s ICAC Task Force.
The investigation began after a CyberTipline report was received from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC). Authorities allege that both Lamothe and Swibaker possessed files containing child sexual abuse material.
Lamothe was arrested on February 19, 2025. He faces three counts of sexual exploitation of a minor in the third degree under state law (§16-15-410), with each count classified as a felony carrying up to ten years imprisonment per count.
Swibaker was also arrested on February 19, 2025. He is charged with ten counts of sexual exploitation of a minor in the third degree under the same statute. Each count is a felony punishable by up to ten years in prison.
Both cases are being prosecuted by the Attorney General’s Office. The office functions as South Carolina’s primary legal advocate and enforcer, overseeing prosecutions and regulatory matters across the state (official website). It works with law enforcement agencies and solicitors during criminal prosecutions while also supporting victims through advocacy and resources (official website).
Attorney General Wilson stated: “All defendants are presumed innocent unless and until they are proven guilty in a court of law.”
The press release notes that “Child sexual abuse material, or CSAM, is a more accurate reflection of the material involved in these heinous and abusive crimes. ‘Pornography’ can imply the child was a consenting participant. Globally, the term child pornography is being replaced by CSAM for this reason.”
Alan Wilson has served as head of the South Carolina Attorney General’s Office (official website), which operates statewide enforcing laws related to securities, consumer protection, and other regulatory issues (official website).
