According to WIS, Attorney General Henry McMaster’s office announced today that Greenville police have arrested 61-year-old, Joe H. Culler of Wilmont Avenue in Columbia. Mr. Culler has been charged with three counts of criminal solicitation of a minor and two counts of disseminating obscene material to a minor.
Investigators say Culler began soliciting an undercover officer that the 61-year-old thought was a thirteen year old girl on January 26, 2009.
During a seizure of Culler’s home, Officers seized a web camera and a computer.
Culler is currently detained at the Greenville County jail on a $50,000.00 bond.
Mr. Culler’s arrest marks the 174th arrest for the Internet Crimes Against Children task force and comes after the Attorney General’s announcement earlier this month that the Attorney General’s Office, and the Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force it oversees, has successfully prosecuted one hundred one Internet Child Predators since the Criminal Solicitation of a Minor law, a felony providing for a ten year sentence, was passed in April 2004.
Every single case prosecuted to date by the Attorney General’s office has resulted in a conviction; ninety-eight (98) convictions were the result of guilty pleas and three (3) defendants were found guilty at trial.
Attorney General McMaster stated, “South Carolina’s Internet Child Predator law is among the strongest in the nation. It has been tested and appealed, and it has won every time. The overwhelming success of our prosecutions, and the vigorous work of fifty law enforcement agencies across the state is sending a clear message – if Internet Predators try to harm our children, they’ll be caught and aggressively prosecuted.”
Mr. Culler is innocent until proven guilty.
Being charged with criminal solicitation of a minor is a serious crime that can lead to serious consequences. The criminal defense attorneys at Strom Law Firm, L.L.C. include a former United States Attorney, a former public defender, a former Assistant Attorney General and Richland County Assistant Solicitor, as well as a tax lawyer familiar with IRS criminal investigations. The Strom Law Firm will aggressively defend individuals and corporations on all criminal charges in all State and Federal Courts in South Carolina as well as the Federal Courts in Georgia. Our lawyers proudly edit the Columbia, South Carolina Injury Board as well as the Strom Law Blog as a pro bono effort to provide the public valuable information. Our lawyers are licensed in: South Carolina, New York, and Georgia.
