AG Wilson: British citizen living in Sumter County sentenced to 10 years for the sexual exploitation of minors

COLUMBIA, SC (WOLO)– South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson says a British citizen living in Sumter County pleaded guilty to one count of sexual exploitation of a minor, second degree and one count of sexual exploitation of a minor, third degree. Authorities say Malcolm Rainey was sentenced to 10 years in prison.

In November 2015, officials say Kevin Atkins of the State Attorney General’s Office began an investigation in which he identified an online file sharing program user who made files available which contained child sexual abuse material. Authorities say they traced the user back to the Sumter County home that Rainey lived in at the time. Investigators say a search warrant was executed at the home on February 2, 2016. Authorities say they seized multiple electronic devices where additional child sexual abuse material was found. According to officials, Rainey confessed during this investigation.

Authorities say Rainey fled to the United Kingdom while he was out on bond. The South Carolina Attorney General’s Office says it worked with Interpol, the U.S. Department of Justice and The County Court in Northern Ireland to bring Rainey into custody and extradite him back to South Carolina.