A Columbia man, Christopher Thomas Rader, 45, has been arrested on eight charges related to the attempted sexual exploitation of a minor. The arrest was announced by South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson. The investigation was conducted by the Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force from the Attorney General’s Office, with assistance from the Columbia Police Department, which is also part of the ICAC Task Force.
According to investigators, Rader allegedly solicited an individual he believed to be a minor for sex and encouraged them to produce child sexual abuse material. He is also accused of possessing such material and sending sexually explicit images to someone he thought was a minor.
Rader was taken into custody on November 18, 2025. He faces two counts of criminal solicitation of a minor, each carrying up to 10 years in prison; one count of attempted first-degree sexual exploitation of a minor, punishable by up to 20 years; two counts of third-degree sexual exploitation of a minor, with up to 10 years for each count; and three counts of attempted dissemination of obscene material to a person under eighteen, each carrying up to 10 years imprisonment.
The Attorney General’s Office will prosecute this case.
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” (CSAM) is used in place of “child pornography” because it more accurately describes the nature of these crimes and avoids implying consent by victims.
