John Edward Prigmore, a 40-year-old resident of Fort Lawn, South Carolina, has been sentenced to 10 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to possession of child sexual abuse material.
The investigation began in May 2023 when the South Carolina Attorney General’s Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (ICAC) executed a search warrant at Prigmore’s residence. The warrant was obtained following a cyber-tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), which indicated that accounts linked to Prigmore contained child sexual abuse material. Authorities searched several electronic devices belonging to Prigmore and found illicit content.
Prigmore had previously been convicted on state charges of criminal sexual conduct with a minor.
United States District Judge Mary Geiger Lewis sentenced Prigmore to 120 months' imprisonment, followed by lifetime court-ordered supervision. There is no parole in the federal system. He was also ordered to pay $3,000 in restitution.
"This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the U.S. Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals, who sexually exploit children, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc."
The investigation was conducted by Homeland Security Investigations and the South Carolina Attorney General’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Scott Matthews prosecuted the case.
The term “child pornography” continues to appear in federal statutes but is being replaced by “child sexual abuse material,” which is considered a more accurate reflection of the crime's nature and its impact on victims.
