S.C. Attorney General Urges Lawmakers To Pass Child Exploitation Protections

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South Carolina attorney general Alan Wilson wants state lawmakers to finalize legislation that would empower his office – and other prosecutorial and law enforcement agencies across the state – to more quickly identify suspects in child exploitation investigations.

Backed by several state lawmakers – and flanked by sheriffs from some of the state’s highest-volume jurisdictions for child sex abuse cyber tips – Wilson made an urgent case for the passage of S.74, calling it “a critical tool” in the fight against internet crimes against children. The legislation would authorize the use of administrative subpoenas to compel the disclosure of subscriber information from internet service providers — a power currently available only at the federal level.

“This bill does not give us access to your emails or your personal content,” Wilson emphasized. “It simply lets us find out who is behind an IP address, screen name, or email account — so we can start protecting kids before it’s too late.”

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The legislation — sponsored by state senator (and former solicitor) Greg Hembree — would amend the state’s code of laws to allow:

• The attorney general, circuit solicitors, or law enforcement to obtain subscriber data through administrative subpoenas:
• The use of court orders and search warrants with statewide jurisdiction for digital records under provisions of federal law (18 U.S.C. §2703).
• Subpoenas to be issued only with a judge’s determination of probable cause and limited to investigations conducted by the Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) task force.

The bill sailed through the S.C. Senate unanimously (40-0) and passed the S.C. House of Representatives by a vote of 105-0 on April 23, 2025 — but not without modifications. Members in the House added amendments they insist are consistent with safeguarding civil liberties – but Wilson and other law enforcement officials worry those changes could undermine the bill’s utility.

In his remarks, Wilson clarified the bill would not permit access to the content of emails, text messages or personal files — only the identification data behind anonymous digital accounts.

“The amendments added in the House actually make this worse than the current process,” Wilson said. “We need the Senate version to come out of conference.”

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RELATED | ‘OUR LAWS HAVE NOT KEPT UP WITH OUR TECHNOLOGY’

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According to Wilson, South Carolina currently receives over 11,000 cyber tips per year related to potential child sexual abuse material. But the process of identifying a suspect behind a screen name can take weeks or even months due to the red tape involved in routing requests through federal prosecutors or courts.

“Every day that goes by, a child may be re-victimized,” Wilson said. “This bill could shave weeks off investigations and possibly prevent further harm.”

Hembree echoed this sentiment, noting how many child predators exploit technological loopholes.

“This bill gives us a faster, state-based doorway to the same federal protections we already use — nothing more, nothing less,” the former prosecutor noted.

Not everyone is convinced S.74 represents a genuine commitment to protecting children. U.S. congresswoman Nancy Mace — a vocal critic of Wilson and one of his potential gubernatorial opponent — blasted his April 30 press conference, calling it “more theater than action.”

In a strongly worded statement, Mace accused Wilson of staging a media event to distract from his alleged failures in past child sexual abuse cases, specifically citing a Charleston County case against Donald Gresh.

“This is not leadership, it’s damage control,” Mace said, claiming Wilson “looked the other way” when it mattered most. She pointed to the dismissal of five of six indictments against Gresh — a man charged with possessing thousands of images and videos of child sexual abuse — and a 15-minute plea negotiation that resulted in Gresh serving just one day in jail.

“Now that cameras are rolling, he’s suddenly found religion on child porn,” Mace said.

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If you're explaining, you're losing.

South Carolina's Attorney General Alan Wilson is doing damage control because we called him out for protecting p*dophiles…

Hold the line. https://t.co/kZiyNlcsrh

— Rep. Nancy Mace (@RepNancyMace) April 30, 2025

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In response to Mace’s criticism, the attorney general’s office stated it did not make a sentencing recommendation in the Gresh case – noting its outcome was ultimately determined by the presiding judge, who holds sole discretion over sentencing once a plea deal is accepted.

While the plea agreement reduced the number of charges Gresh faced, the final decision on his punishment rested with the court – not the attorney general’s office.

What’s next for the bill?

If senators decline to adopt changes made by the House – as they are expected to do – the legislation would head to a conference committee comprised of three representatives of each chamber. This six-member panel would hammer out a compromise which would require an affirmative vote from each chamber if the bill is to advance to the governor’s desk.

Wilson urged constituents to contact their House representatives and advocate for the Senate’s cleaner, more enforceable version.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR …

As a private investigator turned journalist, Jenn Wood brings a unique skill set to FITSNews as its research director. Known for her meticulous sourcing and victim-centered approach, she helps shape the newsroom’s most complex investigative stories while producing the FITSFiles and Cheer Incorporated podcasts. Jenn lives in South Carolina with her family, where her work continues to spotlight truth, accountability, and justice.

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