CHARLESTON COUNTY, S.C. (WCBD) – Tens of thousands of files containing child sexual abuse material were located on a Charleston County man’s electronic devices, according to the South Carolina Attorney General’s Office. Michael Bentz, 35, was sentenced to 10 years in prison for sexual exploitation of minors last week after pleading guilty in a Charleston […]
CHARLESTON COUNTY, S.C. (WCBD) – Tens of thousands of files containing child sexual abuse material were located on a Charleston County man’s electronic devices, according to the South Carolina Attorney General’s Office.
Michael Bentz, 35, was sentenced to 10 years in prison for sexual exploitation of minors last week after pleading guilty in a Charleston County courtroom.
It stems from a report by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children in April 2021 saying a user of a messaging application placed files of child sexual abuse material on the platform.
Subscriber information for that user led investigators to Bentz’s home on Wadmalaw Island.
Investigators in Charleston County executed a search on his home in February 2022. While there, officials say he admitted to being responsible for the material.
The Attorney General’s office said tens of thousands of additional files of child sexual abuse material were found during an examination of his electronics.
Judge Jennifer McCoy sentenced Bentz to 10 years in prison. He was given credit for the time he’s already served and will have to register as a sex offender once released. He also forfeited his electronics.