South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson announced the arrest of two Midlands men on charges related to the sexual exploitation of a minor. Ibrahim Jamal Kanouni, 24, of West Columbia, and Michael Elijah Deion Tobe, 21, of Columbia, face a total of six felony charges in separate cases. The arrests were carried out by Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force investigators from the South Carolina Attorney General’s Office and Lexington County Sheriff’s Office. The Richland County Sheriff’s Office also assisted.
The investigations began after CyberTipline reports from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) identified both suspects. According to investigators, Kanouni is accused of distributing and possessing files containing child sexual abuse material. Tobe is accused of distributing similar material.
Kanouni was arrested on December 11, 2025. He faces one count of second-degree sexual exploitation of a minor—a felony punishable by up to 10 years in prison—and two counts of third-degree sexual exploitation of a minor, each also carrying up to 10 years’ imprisonment.
Tobe was arrested on December 18, 2025. He is charged with three counts of second-degree sexual exploitation of a minor, with each count carrying up to 10 years’ imprisonment.
The South Carolina Attorney General’s Office will prosecute both cases. As the state’s chief prosecutor and legal counsel, the office oversees criminal matters and collaborates with law enforcement agencies across South Carolina official website. The office also provides victim support services and works to enhance public safety statewide.
Attorney General Wilson stated: “All defendants are presumed innocent unless and until they are proven guilty in a court of law.”
A note included in the announcement explained 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.”