Adam Sloan, a 40-year-old resident of Jackson in Aiken County, has been sentenced to over 17 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to producing child sexual abuse material.
The sentencing follows an international investigation into an illicit online marketplace on the Dark Web. FBI agents identified Sloan as a user involved in online fraud and executed a search warrant at his home on April 18, 2023. During their forensic review of electronic devices seized from Sloan, agents found evidence supporting the fraud allegations and discovered multiple files depicting child sexual abuse material. The files included videos and images of several minor girls changing clothes, showering, and using the bathroom. These were captured by a hidden camera placed at various angles in Sloan’s bathroom. Analysts also found recordings showing Sloan placing and manipulating the hidden camera. The victims were minors who had visited Sloan’s home for events such as birthday parties, pool parties, and sleepovers.
Senior United States District Judge Cameron McGowan Currie sentenced Sloan to 210 months in prison, followed by a term of life court-ordered supervision. There is no parole in the federal system. The court also ordered $5,021 in restitution to be paid to one victim who requested it.
The case was prosecuted under Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched by the U.S. Department of Justice in May 2006 aimed at combating child sexual exploitation and abuse by coordinating efforts among federal, state, and local agencies. More information about Project Safe Childhood can be found at http://www.justice.gov/psc.
The investigation was conducted by the FBI Columbia Field Office with assistance from the Aiken County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lee Holmes and Dean H. Secor prosecuted the case.
“The term ‘child pornography’ is currently used in federal statutes and is defined as any visual depiction of sexually explicit conduct involving a person less than 18 years old. While this phrase still appears in federal law, ‘child sexual abuse material’ is preferred, as it better reflects the abuse that is depicted in the images and videos and the resulting trauma to the child,” according to guidance provided with this announcement.
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