Sex crime sting leads to arrests of men trying to meet kids, Lexington Co. sheriff says
A recent undercover investigation led to the arrest of 11 men who were charged with committing sex crimes involving children, the Lexington County Sheriff’s Department said Tuesday.
Multiple law enforcement agencies were involved in the online sting that targeted potential sexual predators who were trying to contact children for sex, the sheriff’s department said in a news release.
“Officers pretended to be underage teenagers as the suspects messaged them through social media apps,” Sheriff Jay Koon said in the release. “After the suspect asked to meet with ‘the child,’ detectives were staged at a predetermined meeting spot to arrest them.”
No children were ever used or placed in danger during the operation, according to Koon.
Nine of the men who were arrested in the sting are Midlands residents, according to the release. One man who was charged with two sex crimes is from Florence, while another is a resident of Kings Mountain, North Carolina, which is about 30 miles from Charlotte.
The undercover operation began May 17 and ran through May 20, sheriff’s department spokesman Capt. Adam Myrick told The State. Kik, which has more than 240 million registered users and is popular with teens, Google Voice, Textnow, Skout, and Facebook Messenger were the apps used during the operation, Myrick said.
“There is no doubt about the intent of these suspects when the messages and images they sent are reviewed,” Koon said. “That’s why it’s important for parents to know who their children are communicating with online because sexual predators are looking for opportunities to exploit them.”
The following men were charged:
▪ Christopher Michael Alexander, 30, Gilbert, South Carolina
Charges: First-degree attempted sexual exploitation of a minor, attempted unlawful dissemination of obscene material to a person under 18, criminal solicitation of a minor, second-degree attempted criminal sexual conduct with a minor
▪ Bryan Keith Beane, 61, Kings Mountain, North Carolina
Charges: Three counts of third-degree attempted sexual exploitation of a minor, attempted second-degree criminal sexual conduct, attempted unlawful dissemination of obscene material to a person under 18, criminal solicitation of a minor, possession of a weapon during a violent crime
▪ Jason Brandon Davis, 41, Lexington, South Carolina
Charges: Two counts of criminal conspiracy, promoting the prostitution of a minor, two counts of second-degree attempted criminal sexual conduct with a minor
▪ Rodney Carlton Fussell, 25, Leesville, South Carolina
Charges: Second-degree attempted criminal sexual conduct with a minor, promoting the prostitution of a minor
▪ Terry Dwayne Goins Jr., 23, Gilbert, South Carolina
Charges: Attempted second-degree criminal sexual conduct with a minor, criminal solicitation of a minor
▪ Nicholas Banks Jeffcoat, 33, Columbia, South Carolina
Charge: Criminal solicitation of a minor
▪ Robert Mitchum Nichols, 67, Florence, South Carolina
Charges: Criminal solicitation of a minor, second-degree attempted criminal sexual conduct with a minor
▪ Karl Jordan Platt, 28, Columbia, South Carolina
Charges: Second-degree attempted criminal sexual conduct with a minor, criminal solicitation of a minor
▪ George Stanley Sawyer Jr., 42, Lexington, South Carolina
Charges: First-degree attempted sexual exploitation of a minor, criminal solicitation of a minor, second-degree attempted criminal sexual conduct with a minor, attempted unlawful dissemination of obscene material to a person under 18
▪ Hunter Allen Trammell, 20, Newberry, South Carolina
Charges: Second-degree criminal sexual conduct with a minor, criminal solicitation of a minor
▪ Terry William Volcke, 29, Elgin, South Carolina
Charges: Criminal solicitation of a minor, three counts of attempted dissemination of obscene material to a person under 18
Koon said more arrests are possible as investigators pursue charges against other suspects identified during the operation.
In addition to the Lexington County Sheriff’s Department, other agencies involved in the undercover sting included the South Carolina Attorney General’s Office, FBI, Homeland Security Investigations, the U.S. Secret Service, the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, U.S. Marshals Service, Cayce Police Department, Mount Pleasant Police Department, Charleston County Sheriff’s Office, Orangeburg County Sheriff’s Office, Marion County Sheriff’s Office, Aiken Department of Public Safety, Aiken County Sheriff’s Office, West Columbia Police Department, Irmo Police Department, Kershaw County Sheriff’s Office and Camden Police Department.
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This story was originally published May 31, 2022 at 2:16 PM with the headline "Sex crime sting leads to arrests of men trying to meet kids, Lexington Co. sheriff says."
