Attorney General Alan Wilson announces Sumter Co. man gets 9-year prison sentence for child sexual abuse material

(COLUMBIA, S.C.) – South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson announces that Mark Christopher Gainey, of Sumter County, has been sentenced to nine years in prison for distributing and possessing child sexual abuse material. Gainey pleaded guilty on October 24^th to one count of Sexual Exploitation of a Minor, 2^nd Degree (distribution), and one count of Sexual Exploitation of a Minor, 3^rd Degree (possession), in front of Judge George McFaddin in Sumter County.

In August 2015, Special Investigator Kevin Atkins with the Attorney General’s Office was sent child sexual abuse material (CSAM) from a file-sharing network. From August 29, 2015, to August 31, 2015, he was sent additional CSAM files from this user. After obtaining subscriber information for this user, the defendant’s residence in Sumter County was identified as the location from which the files were being sent. This case was then referred to the Sumter County Sheriff’s Office. In October 2017, Sp. Inv. Atkins was again sent files of CSAM from this same user. A search warrant was executed at the defendant’s residence in December 2017, and several electronic items were seized. At that time, the defendant admitted to running file-sharing programs and admitted to possessing CSAM on his devices. After a forensic examination was conducted on the seized devices, approximately 15,000 files of CSAM were located, along with an additional 470,000 files relating to children.

Judge McFaddin sentenced Gainey to nine years in prison on both counts to run concurrently. He forfeited the devices containing the contraband material and will have to register as a Tier 2 sex offender upon his release.