‘Obscene’ video of children found on deputy’s Snapchat, South Carolina cops say
A former deputy was fired after being accused of having videos of children performing sexual acts on his phone, South Carolina authorities said.
Jonathon Christopher Bessenger, 24, worked as a deputy with the Florence County Sheriff’s Department, according to a release by the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division.
Now, he’s being charged with three counts of second-degree sexual exploitation of a minor, according to SLED.
On May 10, authorities received information about potential criminal activity involving Bessenger, a memo from the sheriff’s office obtained by WBTW said. The sheriff’s department asked SLED to investigate and Bessenger was immediately fired.
Upon further investigation, authorities accused Bessenger of possessing photos or videos of children engaged in sexual activity, according to the arrest warrant affidavit. The material was reportedly found on Bessenger’s Snapchat.
Bessenger is accused of participating in a group on Snapchat where he received and distributed “obscene” content during July 2020 and December 2021.
Bessenger told SLED agents on May 10 that he was in possession of a video of a minor engaged in sexual activity and gave authorities access to his phone, according to the arrest affidavit.
The Florence County Sheriff’s Office hired Bessenger in January 2019, WBTW reported.
Bessenger was booked at the Florence County Detention Center following the investigation, according to SLED.
Since booked, Bessenger has been released from jail on a $15,000 bond, according to WMBF.
Florence County is about 90 miles east of Columbia.
This story was originally published May 12, 2022 at 12:20 PM with the headline "‘Obscene’ video of children found on deputy’s Snapchat, South Carolina cops say."
