Lancaster Man Arrested on 19 Charges in Child Exploitation Case

COLUMBIA, S.C. – South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson announced the arrest of a Lancaster man on multiple charges connected to the sexual exploitation and abuse of a minor.

William Frank Abbott, Jr., 32, was taken into custody on August 5, 2025, by Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force investigators with the Lancaster County Sheriff’s Office.

According to investigators, Abbott engaged in criminal sexual conduct with a minor and also created files of child sexual abuse material (CSAM). Authorities noted the term CSAM is used globally to more accurately reflect the abusive nature of such material.

Abbott faces 19 charges:

• Two counts of criminal sexual conduct with a minor (§16-3-655(C))
• Four counts of criminal sexual conduct with a minor (§16-3-655(A)(1))
• Thirteen counts of first-degree sexual exploitation of a minor (§16-15-395), a felony punishable by up to 20 years in prison for each count

The Attorney General’s Office will prosecute the case.

Wilson emphasized that Abbott, like all defendants, is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.