South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson has announced the arrest of Derrick Vaughn Nielsen, 43, of Sumter, South Carolina, on five charges related to the sexual exploitation of minors. The arrest was made by Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force investigators from the Sumter Police Department, with assistance from investigators from the Attorney General’s Office, who are also part of the state’s ICAC Task Force.
The investigation began after the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) submitted a CyberTipline report that identified Nielsen as a suspect. According to investigators, Nielsen is accused of distributing files containing child sexual abuse material.
Nielsen was taken into custody on October 22, 2025. He faces five counts of sexual exploitation of a minor in the second degree under South Carolina law (§16-15-405), which is classified as a felony. Each count carries a possible sentence of up to 10 years in prison.
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 press release also clarifies that child sexual abuse material (CSAM) is now used as a more accurate term for this type of crime, as the term “pornography” can wrongly suggest consent by minors.
