A Kershaw County man has been arrested on nine charges related to the sexual exploitation of a minor, according to an announcement from South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson. Hunter Blake West, 26, of Cassat, was taken into custody by Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force investigators from the Attorney General’s Office. The investigation also involved the Kershaw County Sheriff’s Office, Camden Police Department, and the S.C. Department of Probation, Parole, and Pardon.
The arrest followed a CyberTipline report from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), which led authorities to West. Investigators allege that West distributed and possessed files containing child sexual abuse material.
West was arrested on September 8, 2025. He faces four counts of sexual exploitation of a minor in the second degree (§16-15-405), each carrying a possible sentence of up to 10 years in prison. He is also charged with five counts of sexual exploitation of a minor in the third degree (§16-15-410), which are also felonies punishable by up to 10 years imprisonment per count.
West had previously been convicted on related charges in 2024.
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.”
The term “child sexual abuse material” (CSAM) is now used instead of “child pornography” because it more accurately describes the nature of these crimes and avoids implying any consent by victims.
