Two Hartsville Men Arrested on Child Sexual Abuse Material Charges
Summary
South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson announced the arrest of Barney Eugene Smith, Jr., 54, and Jeremy Dylan Dixon, 32, both of Hartsville, S.C., on four total charges of sexual exploitation of a minor, second degree under S.C. Code § 16-15-405. ICAC Task Force investigators made the arrests on April 9, 2026. Both defendants are charged with two felony counts each, each punishable by up to 10 years imprisonment.
What changed
The South Carolina Attorney General's Office announced arrests of two Hartsville men on charges of sexual exploitation of a minor, second degree. Barney Eugene Smith, Jr., 54, and Jeremy Dylan Dylan Dixon, 32, were each charged with two felony counts. The arrests resulted from CyberTipline reports from NCMEC and investigations by the ICAC Task Force with assistance from the Darlington County Sheriff's Office, Hartsville Police Department, and Homeland Security Investigations.
For compliance professionals, this announcement signals continued active enforcement by the South Carolina AG's office regarding child exploitation crimes. Organizations with reporting obligations or digital platforms should maintain robust systems for detecting and reporting suspected child exploitation material. The charges carry significant penalties of up to 10 years per count.
What to do next
- Monitor for updates on case proceedings
Penalties
Up to 10 years imprisonment per count under S.C. Code § 16-15-405
Archived snapshot
Apr 11, 2026GovPing captured this document from the original source. If the source has since changed or been removed, this is the text as it existed at that time.
APR 10, 2026
Hartsville men arrested on Child Sexual Abuse Material* charges
(COLUMBIA, S.C.) - South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson announced the arrest of Barney Eugene Smith, Jr., 54, of Hartsville, S.C., and Jeremy Dylan Dixon, 32, of Hartsville, S.C., on four total charges connected to the sexual exploitation of minors. Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force investigators with the Attorney General's Office made the arrests in these unrelated cases. Investigators with the Darlington County Sheriff's Office, Hartsville Police Department, and Homeland Security Investigations, all also members of the state's ICAC Task Force, assisted with these investigations.
Investigators received CyberTipline reports from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), which led them to Smith and Dixon. Investigators state that Smith and Dixon distributed files of child sexual abuse material.
Smith was arrested on April 9, 2026. He is charged with two counts of sexual exploitation of a minor, second degree (§16-15-405), a felony offense punishable by up to 10 years imprisonment on each count.
Dixon was arrested on April 9, 2026. He is charged with two counts of sexual exploitation of a minor, second degree (§16-15-405), a felony offense punishable by up to 10 years imprisonment on each count.
These cases will be prosecuted by the Attorney General's Office.
Attorney General Wilson stressed that all defendants are presumed innocent unless and until they are proven guilty in a court of law.
- Child sexual abuse material, or CSAM, is a more accurate reflection of the material involved in these heinous and abusive crimes. "Pornography" can imply the child was a consenting participant. Globally, the term child pornography is being replaced by CSAM for this reason.
Media Contact
For media inquiries please contact Robert Kittle, [email protected] or 803-734-3670
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