South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson has announced the arrest of three men from Florence County on charges related to the sexual exploitation of minors. The arrests were made by Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force investigators from the South Carolina Attorney General’s Office, with assistance from the Florence County Sheriff’s Office and the U.S. Marshals Service.
The individuals arrested are Daniel James Ladd, 57, of Florence; Shawn Schroeder, 55, of Florence; and Daniel Joseph Alford, 21, of Scranton. The arrests stem from separate investigations that began after CyberTipline reports were received from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC). According to investigators, all three men distributed files containing child sexual abuse material.
Ladd was taken into custody on October 1, 2025. He faces four counts of sexual exploitation of a minor in the second degree under South Carolina law (§16-15-405), with each count carrying a potential sentence of up to ten years in prison.
Schroeder was also arrested on October 1, 2025. He is charged with three counts of sexual exploitation of a minor in the second degree, each punishable by up to ten years imprisonment.
Alford was arrested on the same day and is charged with two counts of sexual exploitation of a minor in the second degree. Each count carries a maximum penalty of ten years in prison.
The South Carolina Attorney General’s Office will prosecute these cases.
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 (CSAM) is now used as a more accurate term than “child pornography,” as it reflects the abusive nature of these crimes and avoids implying consent by victims.
