South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson announced the arrest of Dallon Christopher Barnwell, 22, from Pickens, South Carolina. Barnwell faces 10 charges related to the sexual exploitation of minors. The arrest was carried out by Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force investigators with the Pickens County Sheriff’s Office. The Attorney General’s Office, also a member of the state’s ICAC Task Force, assisted in the investigation.
The investigation began after receiving a CyberTipline report from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), which led authorities to Barnwell. Investigators allege that Barnwell possessed files containing child sexual abuse material.
Barnwell was arrested on July 3, 2025. He is charged with 10 counts of third-degree sexual exploitation of a minor (§16-15-410), a felony offense that carries a potential sentence of up to 10 years imprisonment for each count.
The case will be prosecuted by the Attorney General’s Office.
Attorney General Wilson emphasized that “all defendants are presumed innocent unless and until they are proven guilty in a court of law.”
The term “child sexual abuse material” or CSAM is used to describe these crimes as it accurately reflects their nature. It replaces “pornography,” which may imply consent by minors involved in such cases.
