Documents obtained through the Freedom of Information Act reveal that South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson (R) has reportedly failed to prosecute the overwhelming majority of child pornography and sexual exploitation cases in Dorchester County.
According to internal records reviewed by Rep. Nancy Mace, from 2019 to 2022, the South Carolina Attorney General’s Office (SCAG), under Wilson’s leadership, handled 385 warrants for child pornography cases in Dorchester County, yet only 29 resulted in convictions.
That’s a conviction rate of just 7.5%, with 356 cases dismissed outright and not a single one taken to trial.
“We obtained FOIA documents showing South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson failed to prosecute p*dophiles in Dorchester County,” Rep. Nancy Mace wrote on X.
“Nearly every single child p*dophile case under Wilson’s watch in Dorchester County has been dismissed or dropped. WE WANT ANSWERS. NOW,” she added.
Key Findings from the FOIA Release:
- 385 child exploitation cases handled by SCAG since 2019
- 356 cases dismissed outright
- 0 trials held — not a single one taken before a jury
- 29 convictions (7.5% conviction rate)
- 324 pending cases, averaging 740 days without resolution
- Most defendants currently out on bond and living in local communities
The report, signed by First Circuit Solicitor David Pascoe, describes a pattern of leniency and negligence by the AG’s office:
The numbers above demonstrate that since January 1, 2019, of the 385 warrants handled by the SCAG, only 29 resulted in convictions— rate of 7.5%—and the remaining 356 warrants were dismissed outright. The high rate of dismissals is likely the reason over 90% of the child pornographers who pleaded guilty received suspended sentences.
For the few convictions that were obtained, only 2 defendants received an active time sentence, with the remainder receiving probationary or time-served sentences.
Specifically, 31 of the 33 defendants either had charges dismissed completely or received some type of suspended sentence.
Notably, this soft approach to child pornography cannot be attributed to judges handing down lenient sentences. This is because not a single case has been taken to a jury trial-all of these convictions were negotiated by the SCAG.
The SCAG presently has 324 cases pending in Dorchester County. The average age of these cases is 740 days and growing with each passing day. This accounts for 9.5% of the total General Sessions docket in Dorchester County.
This is an unacceptable number of pending cases when you consider that the SCAG has not tried any child pornography cases in Dorchester County and most of these defendants are currently out on bond, living in our community.
The data, originally outlined in the First Circuit Solicitor’s 2022–2023 Dorchester County budget request, clearly indicated that law enforcement agencies within the First Judicial Circuit had lost confidence in the Attorney General’s Office due to its inefficiency in prosecuting child exploitation cases and its overly lenient approach to plea negotiations.
In response, the First Circuit Solicitor’s Office has requested an additional $150,000 to establish a dedicated child pornography prosecution unit, separate from its general operations.
“This data is appalling and indefensible,” said Congresswoman Mace in a statement. “When almost every single child predator case is being dismissed and nearly every conviction results in a slap on the wrist, it is a betrayal of justice and an active threat to Lowcountry children.”
Mace added, “The Attorney General has a duty to protect the most vulnerable among us: our children. Instead, he’s failing them, and local prosecutors are being forced to pick up the pieces.”
JUST IN: We obtained FOIA documents showing South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson failed to prosecute p*dophiles in Dorchester County.
Nearly every single child p*dophile case under Wilson’s watch in Dorchester County has been dismissed or dropped.
WE WANT ANSWERS. NOW. pic.twitter.com/yz5ihTqhCe
— Rep. Nancy Mace (@RepNancyMace) October 6, 2025
The Gateway Pundit has reached out to South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson’s office for comments.
Following Congresswoman Nancy Mace’s post on X exposing the documents, Wilson’s office pushed back, calling Mace’s remarks “deceptive.”
ABC15 News reported:
In the numbers provided to News 4 from Wilson’s office, during the period Mace is referencing, in Dorchester County, a total of 42 cases resulted in 30 pleas, eight dismissals, three cases picked up by federal law enforcement, and one case decided by the death of the alleged offender. With each case, an offender may have multiple charges, a spokesperson from Wilson’s office said.
“This is another example of the Congresswoman spreading deception about the office and the criminal justice system,” Wilson’s office said in a statement. “The office enforces the laws, the legislature writes them, and the judges sentence.”
When stretched back to 2014, Dorchester County saw 83 cases prosecuted, according to data provided by Wilson’s office. The breakdown is as follows:
- 61 guilty pleas and trials
- 15 dismissals for insufficient evidence/ prosecutorial discretion/bench warrant
- 4 cases were federally adopted
- 2 dismissed due to offender death
- 1 transferred to probate
“The hardworking law enforcement officers, ICAC prosecutors, and ultimately victims should not be used in a smear campaign to score political points,” Wilson’s office said in a statement. “The Attorney General’s Office is not going to engage in her outrageous, clearly political rhetoric.”
