A Rock Hill man has been sentenced to 46 years in prison after entering an Alford plea to multiple charges related to child sexual abuse, according to South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson. Jeremy Lewis, 23, was charged with two counts of Criminal Sexual Conduct with a Minor, First Degree, and seven counts of Sexual Exploitation of a Minor, First Degree.
An Alford plea allows a defendant to maintain innocence while acknowledging that prosecutors have enough evidence for a likely conviction. The case had been scheduled for trial this week.
The investigation began on November 13, 2020, when Investigator Alex Clark from the York County Sheriff’s Office received a cybertip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. The tip involved the uploading of child sexual abuse material to an online platform. Some images and videos were identified as commonly traded content, while others appeared self-produced and depicted the assault of a child under one year old.
Law enforcement traced the IP address used for the uploads to Lewis’s residence in Rock Hill. Inside the home, officers found furniture matching items seen in the abuse material. Investigators were able to identify the victim. During questioning, Lewis admitted receiving child sexual abuse material online but denied committing assault; however, tattoos visible in videos matched those on his hands.
Judge R. Keith Kelly handed down a sentence totaling 46 years: 25 years for each count of Criminal Sexual Conduct with a Minor (to run concurrently), and three years for each count of Sexual Exploitation of a Minor (to run consecutively). Lewis was credited with 1,710 days already served.
Attorney General Wilson stated: “Attorney General Wilson gives a special thanks to the hard work of the York County Sheriff’s Office on this case. As a member of the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, the York Sheriff’s Office works tirelessly to help the Attorney General’s Office protect the children of South Carolina.”
