Two Men Arrested on Child Pornography Charges

(COLUMBIA, S.C.) - March 13, 2020 - South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson announced the arrest of Demetrius David John, age 26, of Anderson, and Matthew Jonathon Tant, age 19, of North Augusta, SC, on 22 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. Investigators with the Anderson County Sheriff's Office, S.C. Department of Public Safety, and Homeland Security Investigations, all also members of the state's ICAC Task Force, assisted with the John investigation and arrest. Investigators with the Aiken County Sheriff's Office, U.S. Secret Service and Homeland Security Investigations, all also members of the state's ICAC Task Force, assisted with the Tant investigation and arrest.

Investigators received a CyberTipline report from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) which led them to Tant. Investigators state both men possessed child pornography. Tant also distributed child pornography.

John was arrested on March 11, 2020, and Tant was arrested on March 12, 2020. Tant is charged with one count of sexual exploitation of a minor, second degree (§16-15-405), a felony offense punishable by up to 10 years imprisonment. Both men are charged with sexual exploitation of a minor, third degree (§16-15-410), a felony offense punishable by up to 10 years imprisonment on each count. John is charged with 10 counts and Tant is charged with 11.

Tant was out on bond from a prior arrest on related charges in 2019.

These cases will be prosecuted by the Attorney General's Office.

Attorney General Wilson stressed all defendants are presumed innocent unless and until they are proven guilty in a court of law.