William Douglas Minner
Terry Randall Belk, Jr.
Thomas Gerald Allred
Robert Mann Hagan
Richard David Raffl
Jon Joseph Carranza
Ernest Joseph McDonald
(Walhalla, SC)--------------------------------------The Oconee County Sheriff’s Office, in cooperation with the South Carolina Attorney General’s Office, the Department of Homeland Security and the Internet Crimes against Children Task Force, has filed additional charges against five men who were recently arrested in a Child Sexual Abuse Material operation and investigation.
Back on October 20th, the Sheriff’s Office issued a release announcing that search warrants were executed at seven different addresses in the county that week. The search and arrest warrants were obtained, based upon evidence that was gathered during the investigation, after an Investigator with the Sheriff’s Office received a cyber tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children regarding the possession and/or distribution of Child Sexual Abuse Material.
Additional charges have been filed against the following five individuals that were arrested during the execution of the search warrants:
· Ernest Joseph McDonald
23 years old
New Madison Road, Westminster, SC
McDonald was arrested on October 18th on one count of Sexual Exploitation of a Minor – Third Degree and received a $124,000 surety bond. McDonald posted bond and was released from the Oconee County Detention Center, while also being placed on an electronic monitoring device, as a condition of bond. Based on evidence gathered as part of the ongoing investigation, arrest warrants were obtained charging McDonald with 49 additional counts of Sexual Exploitation of a Minor – Third Degree. McDonald was arrested on October 27th on the additional charges and was booked into jail around 7:32pm. At this time, McDonald remains in jail on a combined $490,000 surety bond.
· Thomas Gerald Allred
45 years old
Easter Lane, Seneca, SC
Allred was arrested on October 18th on four counts of Sexual Exploitation of a Minor – 2nd Degree and remained in custody, at the Oconee County Detention Center, after his bond was denied by a judge during a bond hearing. Based upon evidence gathered as part of the ongoing investigation, Allred has been charged additionally with four counts of Sexual Exploitation of a Minor – 2nd Degree and five counts of Sexual Exploitation of a Minor – 3rd Degree. Allred received a combined $150,000 surety bond on the nine additional charges. Allred will be required to wear an electronic monitoring device, as a condition of bond, should he be released from jail.
· Terry Randall Belk, Jr.
23 years old
Oak Tree Drive, Seneca, SC
Belk was arrested on October 18th on one count of Sexual Exploitation of a Minor – 2nd Degree. Belk remained in custody, at the Oconee County Detention Center, after his bond was denied by a judge during a bond hearing. Based upon evidence gathered as part of the ongoing investigation, Belk has been charged additionally with nine counts of Sexual Exploitation of a Minor – 2nd Degree and five counts of Sexual Exploitation of a Minor – Third Degree. Belk was given a combined $140,000 surety bond on the 14 additional charges. Belk will be required to wear an electronic monitoring device, as a condition of bond, should he be released from jail.
· Jon Joseph Carranza
26 years old
Ralph Sheriff Road, Seneca, SC
Carranza was arrested on October 18th on one count of Sexual Exploitation of a Minor – 2nd Degree. Carranza remained in custody, at the Oconee County Detention Center, after his bond was denied by a judge during a bond hearing. Based upon evidence gathered as part of the ongoing investigation, Carranza has been charged additionally with two counts of Sexual Exploitation of a Minor – Third Degree. Carranza was given a combined $50,000 surety bond on the two additional charges. Carranza will be required to wear an electronic monitoring device, as a condition of bond, should he be released from jail.
· William Douglas Minner
59 years old
Cheohee Valley Road, Tamassee, SC
Minner was arrested on October 19th on 20 counts of Sexual Exploitation of a Minor – 3rd Degree. Minner remained in custody, at the Oconee County Detention Center, on a combined $200,000 surety bond. Based upon evidence gathered as part of the ongoing investigation, Minner has been charged with 80 additional counts of Sexual Exploitation of a Minor – Third Degree. At this time, Minner remains in jail on a combined $1 million dollar surety bond on the 100 total charges. Minner will be required to wear an electronic monitoring device, as a condition of bond, should he be released from jail.
Also arrested during the investigation and operation was 74 year old Robert Mann Hagan of Violet Fields Road in Seneca and 74 year old Richard David Raffl of Lake Ridge Circle in Walhalla. Both men were arrested on October 19th on one count each of Sexual Exploitation of a Minor – Third Degree. Both men remain in custody, at the Oconee County Detention Center, on $50,000 surety bonds each.
The Oconee County Sheriff’s Office is continuing its investigation, and no further information will be released at this time, including any additional information that could, either directly or indirectly, identify any minor victim in this investigation. As stated in the News Release on October 20th, at this time, Investigators do not have any evidence that any of the Child Sexual Abuse Material was manufactured inside of Oconee County.
Based upon the evidence gathered during the course of the ongoing investigation and operation, the ages of the victims ranged from under one year of age to 16 years of age. The images were primarily of girls, but there were also images of boys, according to Investigators.