A North Charleston man has been arrested on multiple charges related to the sexual exploitation of minors, according to an announcement from South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson. Arturo Vega Cruzado, 43, was taken into custody by Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force investigators from the Charleston County Sheriff’s Office.
The investigation received assistance from Homeland Security Investigations, the Mount Pleasant Police Department, and the South Carolina Department of Probation, Parole, and Pardon. All agencies involved are members of the state’s ICAC Task Force.
Authorities allege that Cruzado possessed files containing child sexual abuse material. He was arrested on August 14, 2025.
Cruzado faces six counts of sexual exploitation of a minor in the third degree under state law (§16-15-410). Each count is a felony offense and carries a possible sentence of up to ten years in prison.
The case will be prosecuted by the South Carolina Attorney General’s Office.
Attorney General Wilson stated: “All defendants are presumed innocent unless and until they are proven guilty in a court of law.”
According to the release, child sexual abuse material (CSAM) is now used as a more accurate term for such crimes because “pornography” may suggest consent by minors. The term CSAM is increasingly replacing “child pornography” globally for this reason.
