Attorney General Alan Wilson announces Jason Pope pleads guilty and is sentenced for sex trafficking

(COLUMBIA, S.C.) – South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson announced that Jason Roger Pope pleaded guilty today in Florence County to 13 sex charges, all of them against minors. Pope, known as “DJ Kidd,” who is 46 years old, pleaded guilty to five counts of Sex Trafficking of a Minor, five counts of Criminal Sexual Conduct with a Minor, and three counts of Criminal Sexual Conduct. All the charges were related to sex trafficking minors under the age of 18 from 2017-2019.

Judge Brian Gibbons sentenced Pope to 30 years, suspended to 19 years in prison in the negotiated plea and sentence. After he gets out of prison, he’ll be on five years of sex offender probation, which will have special sex offender agents monitoring him. He will face up to 10 more years in prison if he violates probation. He will be on the Sex Offender Registry, and he has permanent restraining orders that prohibit him from having any contact with all the identified victims.

Deputy Attorney General Heather Weiss and Assistant Attorney General Megan Raymer prosecuted the case for the state. Agents with the State Law Enforcement Division’s Human Trafficking Unit, Darlington County Sheriff’s Office, and Florence County Sheriff’s Office all assisted in the investigation.

Several victims had statements presented to the court about how this defendant’s actions affected them. They are relieved this chapter is closed and Pope is in prison.