Lexington, SC: The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of South Carolina announced that a man from Lexington received a 20-year federal prison sentence for the distribution of materials depicting sexual abuse of children.
According to authorities, 41-year-old Ronnie Dawsey Jr. posted seven photos depicting sexual assault of children to Facebook and distributed them using the messaging app Telegram.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Senior United States District Judge Cameron McGowan Currie handed down a 20-year sentence to Dawsey, with the added penalty of life under court-ordered supervision. In addition to registering as a sex offender, the court ordered Dawsey to pay $36,500 to seven separate victims.
The South Carolina Attorney General’s Office, the Department of Homeland Security Investigations, and the Lexington County Sheriff’s Department all worked together to investigate the matter.
Man Arrested After 600 Images Of Child Sex-Assault And Animal Abuse Found On Phone In Ohio
The United States Department of Justice’s Project Safe Childhood, which began in May 2006 and spans the country, is fighting the rising tide of sexual exploitation and abuse of children. This case is part of that effort. Project Safe Childhood draws on federal, state, and local resources to help find, arrest, and prosecute those who sexually exploit children, as well as to find and rescue victims. It is led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section of the Criminal Division.