Federal Grand Jury Indictments

COLUMBIA, SC—United States Attorney Bill Nettles stated today that a federal grand jury in Charleston, South Carolina, returnediIndictment(s) against the following:

Beaufort County Man Indicted for Possessing and Distributing Child Pornography

Joseph Austin Jenkins, age 27, of Okatie, South Carolina, was charged in a two-count indictment with possessing and distributing child pornography, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 2252A(a)(5)(B) and 2252A(a)(2) respectively. The maximum penalty Jenkins could receive is 10 years’ imprisonment for violating Title 18, United States Code, Section 2252A(a)(5)(B). The penalty for violating Title 18, United States Code, Section 2252A(a)(2) is imprisonment for a minimum of five years and a maximum of 20 years. The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and is assigned to Assistant United States Attorney Dean H. Secor of the Charleston office for prosecution. This case is being brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the United States Attorneys Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc.

Former Business Owner Charged with Theft and Embezzlement from an Employee Pension Benefit Plan

Perry Miles, a/k/a Leonard P. Miles, Jr., age 51, of Charleston, was charged in a one-count indictment with theft and embezzlement from an employee pension benefit plan, a violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 664. The maximum penalty Miles could receive is five years’ imprisonment and a fine of $250,000. The case was investigated by the United States Department of Labor, Employee Benefits Security Administration, and it is assigned to Assistant United States Attorney Dean H. Secor of the Charleston office for prosecution.

Hampton County Man Indicted for Failure to Register as a Sex Offender

Woodrow J. Stewart, Jr., age 63, of Yemassee, South Carolina, was charged in a one-count indictment with failing to register as a sex offender, a violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 2250(a). The maximum penalty Stewart could receive is 10 years’ imprisonment. The case was investigated by agents of the United States Marshals Service and is assigned to Assistant United States Attorney Dean H. Secor of the Charleston office for prosecution. This case is being brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the United States Attorneys Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc.

The United States Attorney stated that all charges in these Indictments are merely accusations and that all defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.