NEWS

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  Attorney General Alan Wilson Joins Coalition of Attorneys General Urging Congress to Pass Safeguarding America’s First Responders Act

  (COLUMBIA, S.C.) — May 21, 2020 – South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson is joining a bipartisan coalition of state attorneys general urging Congress to pass S.3607, the Safeguarding America’s First Responders Act. The Act would permit the families of first responders, who die or are permanently and totally disabled as a result of COVID-19, to receive the same federal benefits extended to first responders, or their survivors, otherwise killed or injured in the line of duty. Sadly, several South Carolina law enforcement officers have already succumbed to the novel coronavirus. Current federal law would only allow survivors access to…

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  Lexington County Man Arrested on Child Pornography Charges

  (COLUMBIA, S.C.) – May 20, 2020 – South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson announced the arrest of David Taylor Hawkins, 25, of Gaston, SC, on three charges connected to the sexual exploitation of a minor. Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force investigators with the Lexington County Sheriff’s Office made the arrest. Investigators with the Attorney General’s Office, also a member of the state’s ICAC Task Force, assisted with this investigation.   Investigators received a CyberTipline report from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) which led them to Hawkins. Investigators state Hawkins encouraged a minor victim to produce…

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  Myrtle Beach Man Arrested on Child Pornography Charges

  (COLUMBIA, S.C.) – May 20, 2020 – South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson announced the arrest of Phillip Joseph Byrne, 61, of Myrtle Beach, SC, on six charges connected to the sexual exploitation of a minor. Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force investigators with the Horry County Sheriff’s Office made the arrest. Investigators with the Attorney General’s Office, also a member of the state’s ICAC Task Force, assisted with the investigation. Investigators received a CyberTipline report from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) which led them to Byrne. Investigators state Byrne distributed multiple files of child pornography….

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  York County Man Arrested on Child Pornography Charges

  (COLUMBIA, S.C.) – May 19, 2020 – South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson announced the arrest of Dale Alan Smith, 62, of York, SC, on 12 charges connected to the sexual exploitation of a minor. Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force investigators with the York County Sheriff’s Office made the arrest. Investigators with the Attorney General’s Office, also a member of the state’s ICAC Task Force, assisted with the investigation.   Investigators received a CyberTipline report from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) which led them to Smith. Investigators state Smith distributed and possessed files of child…

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  Attorney General Alan Wilson announces over $550 million settlement with nation’s largest subprime auto financing company

  (COLUMBIA, S.C.) – May 19, 2020 – South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson, along with a coalition of 34 attorneys general led by Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul, today announced a settlement with Santander Consumer USA Inc. (Santander) that includes approximately $550 million in relief for consumers with even more relief in additional deficiency waivers expected. The settlement resolves allegations that Santander violated consumer protection laws by exposing subprime consumers to unnecessarily high levels of risk and knowingly placing these consumers into auto loans with a high probability of default. “Santander’s misleading lending practices exposed South Carolina borrowers to unnecessary…

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