South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson announced that Rosendo Torres-Pelayo, 46, of Greenville, has been arrested on five charges related to the sexual exploitation of minors. The arrest was made by Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force investigators from the Greenville County Sheriff’s Office, with assistance from investigators in the Attorney General’s Office.
The investigation began after a CyberTipline report from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children led authorities to Torres-Pelayo. According to investigators, he possessed files containing child sexual abuse material and engaged in criminal sexual conduct with a minor.
Torres-Pelayo was taken into custody on January 21, 2026. He faces three counts of third-degree sexual exploitation of a minor, each carrying a possible sentence of up to ten years in prison. He is also charged with two counts of criminal sexual conduct with a minor, which could result in up to twenty years imprisonment per count.
The Attorney General’s Office will prosecute the case.
Attorney General Wilson stated: “All defendants are presumed innocent unless and until they are proven guilty in a court of law.”
A note from officials clarified that the term “child sexual abuse material” (CSAM) is used instead of “child pornography” because it more accurately describes the nature of these crimes and avoids implying consent by victims. Globally, there is a move toward using CSAM for this reason.
