Staff reports
Three Beaufort area men were arrested in early June and are facing child sexual abuse material charges.
South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson announced Monday, June 8, the arrest of 30-year-old Dominic Christian Eve of Dale, 30-year-old Bryan Joel Ajocum-Palacios of Beaufort, and 20-year-old William Nathaniel Smith Jr. of Beaufort, S.C. on four total charges connected to the sexual exploitation of minors.
Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force investigators with the Attorney General’s Office made the arrests in these unrelated cases. Investigators with the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office, and Homeland Security Investigations, both also members of the state’s ICAC Task Force, assisted with these investigations.
According to a media release, investigators received CyberTipline reports from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) which led them to Eve, Palacios, and Smith. Investigators state Eve and Palacios possessed files of child sexual abuse material, while Smith distributed files of child sexual abuse material.
— Eve was arrested on Wednesday, June 3, 2026, and is charged with one count of sexual exploitation of a minor, third degree (§16-15-410), a felony offense punishable by up to 10 years imprisonment. Eve was released June 4 on a $10,000 surety bond.
— Ajocum-Palacios was arrested on Wednesday, June 3, 2026, and is charged with one count of sexual exploitation of a minor, third degree (§16-15-410), a felony offense punishable by up to 10 years imprisonment. Ajocum-Palacios was released June 4 on a $10,000 surety bond.
— Smith was arrested on Wednesday, June 3, 2026, and is charged with two counts of sexual exploitation of a minor, second degree (§16-15-405), a felony offense punishable by up to 10 years imprisonment on each count. Smith was released June 4 on a $20,000 surety bond.
These cases will be prosecuted by the Attorney General’s Office.