COLUMBIA, SC (WBTW) – Ten people across South Carolina were arrested in a multi-state bust involving child sex charges.
According to the release from SC Attorney Genera Alan Wilson’s office, the charges stem from an investigation involving nine different Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Forces across the Southeast, including Marion and Horry counties. North Carolina authorities say 76 people were arrested and 13 children were rescued and identified as victims in the operation.
The planning for Operation Southern Impact II began approximately 4 months ago and culminated in 2 days of investigative actions to include search warrant executions, undercover operations, and arrests in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, and West Virginia. A total of 222 law enforcement and prosecutorial agencies participated in the operation, according to the NC State Bureau of Investigation.
“The arrestees, ranged in age from 17 to 73. Some of their occupations included postal worker, non-profit employee, small business owner, store clerk, mechanic, daycare administrator, pastor, construction worker and magician,” the press release from the NC SBI said.
All ten of the South Carolina cases will be prosecuted by the attorney general’s office.
The following suspects have been charged by the attorney general’s office:
Anthony Carmichael (age 30), of Marion, S.C., was arrested on March 14, 2018 by the Marion County Sheriff’s Office. He is charged with one count of sexual exploitation of a minor, second degree, a felony offense punishable by up to 10 years imprisonment; and ten counts of sexual exploitation of a minor, third degree, a felony offense punishable by up to ten years imprisonment on each count.
Edwin Alan Giacin (age 35), of Little River, S.C., was arrested on March 14, 2018 by the Horry County Sheriff’s Office. He is charged with ten counts of sexual exploitation of a minor, second degree, a felony offense punishable by up to 10 years imprisonment on each count; and one count of sexual exploitation of a minor, third degree, a felony offense punishable by up to ten years imprisonment.
Matthew Dalton (age 29), of Columbia, S.C., was arrested on March 14, 2018 by the Richland County Sheriff’s Office. He is charged with ten counts of sexual exploitation of a minor, second degree, a felony offense punishable by up to 10 years imprisonment on each count.
Howard Knapp (age 32), of Columbia, S.C., was arrested on March 14, 2018 by the Richland County Sheriff’s Office. He is charged with three counts of sexual exploitation of a minor, second degree, a felony offense punishable by up to 10 years imprisonment on each count.
Luis Daniel Colon Yera (age 26), of Greer, S.C., was arrested on March 14, 2018 by the Greenville County Sheriff’s Office. He is charged with one count of sexual exploitation of a minor, second degree, a felony offense punishable by up to 10 years imprisonment on each count.
Kenneth O’Shaughnessy (age 47), of Simpsonville, S.C., was arrested on March 15, 2018 by the Greenville County Sheriff’s Office. He is charged with one count of sexual exploitation of a minor, second degree , a felony offense punishable by up to 10 years imprisonment on each count.
Donald Keith McCall (age 53), of Simpsonville, S.C., was arrested on March 15, 2018 by the Greenville County Sheriff’s Office. He is charged with one count of attempted sexual exploitation of a minor, first degree, a felony offense punishable by up to 20 years imprisonment; one count of criminal solicitation of a minor, a felony offense punishable by up to ten years imprisonment; and one count of attempted dissemination of obscene material to a person under age eighteen (§16-15-345), a felony offense punishable by up to ten years imprisonment.
Kenneth Vitali (age 51), of Hopkins, S.C., was arrested on March 15, 2018 by the Richland County Sheriff’s Office. He is charged with one count of sexual exploitation of a minor, second degree, a felony offense punishable by up to 10 years imprisonment.
Ariel Elayda Acierto (age 21), of Ladson, S.C., was arrested on March 15, 2018 by the Charleston County Sheriff’s Office. He is charged with three counts of sexual exploitation of a minor, third degree, a felony offense punishable by up to ten years imprisonment on each count.
Andrew Steiskal (age 22), of Juneau County, WI, was arrested on March 15, 2018 by the Juneau County (WI) Sheriff’s Office, with additional charges filed by the Dorchester County Sheriff’s Office. He is charged in S.C. with one count of sexual exploitation of a minor, first degree, a felony offense punishable by up to 20 years imprisonment; and nineteen counts of sexual exploitation of a minor, second degree, a felony offense punishable by up to 10 years imprisonment on each count.
