John Christopher Maselli, 49, of Fort Mill faces up to 10 years in prison after his arrest on charges of possessing child sexual abuse material.
South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson announced the charges Thursday, Sept. 3. Maselli is charged with third-degree sexual exploitation of a minor and obstruction of justice, WCNC reported.
The investigation began after a tip to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) CyberTipline, the nation's centralized reporting system for online child exploitation. The system accepts reports from both the public and electronic service providers such as social media platforms and internet companies. The tip led investigators to files containing child sexual abuse material allegedly in Maselli's possession, according to Wilson's announcement.
Maselli was arrested Tuesday, Sept. 1.
Wilson's office will lead the prosecution rather than the local solicitor's office. No press release specific to the Maselli case has been published by the attorney general's office. The charges were reported through Wilson's public announcement covered by WCNC.
Under South Carolina law, third-degree sexual exploitation of a minor is a felony defined as knowingly possessing material containing a visual representation of a minor engaged in sexual activity or appearing in a state of sexually explicit nudity. A conviction carries a maximum of 10 years in prison with no minimum sentence and requires mandatory sex offender registration.
The case is unrelated to the recent arrest of Charles Douglas Lieske, 60, of York County, who faces voyeurism charges tied to hidden bedroom cameras. That matter involves a different suspect, different charges and a different alleged crime.
No bond information, arraignment date or details about which law enforcement agency assisted in the arrest have been made public. The case is pending prosecution by the attorney general's office.
Maselli is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.
Residents who suspect online child exploitation can file a report through NCMEC's CyberTipline at missingkids.org or by calling (800) 843-5678.
