Lexington, SC – South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson announced the arrest of a Lexington County man accused of possessing artificial intelligence–generated child sexual abuse material (CSAM), one of the first such prosecutions in the state.
According to the Attorney General’s Office, Adam Asad Kelton, 25, of Gaston, S.C., was arrested October 30, 2025, following an investigation by the Lexington County Sheriff’s Department and the state’s Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force. Investigators allege Kelton possessed files depicting AI-generated sexual exploitation of minors.
Authorities said this marks one of the first cases in South Carolina under a new law that classifies AI-generated CSAM as a felony. The statute makes it illegal to create or possess synthetic visual material depicting minors in explicit acts or nudity.
Kelton is charged with two counts of possession of a visual depiction of a minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct under Section 16-15-390(C) of South Carolina law. Each count carries a penalty of up to 10 years in prison. The Attorney General’s Office will prosecute the case.
Attorney General Wilson emphasized that all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in court. The investigation also involved the South Carolina Department of Probation, Parole, and Pardon Services.
