By Delayna Earley
The Island News
Beaufort High School Girls Varsity golf coach James W. Corbin has been arrested and charged with five counts of Sexual Exploitation of a Minor, 2nd degree on Wednesday, March 13.
Corbin, 52, of Lady’s Island, was booked at the Beaufort County Detention Center just after 9:15 a.m. and remains incarcerated there awaiting a bond hearing.
According to a release from the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office investigation began on January 26, 2024, when the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office received a lead from the South Carolina Attorney General’s Office Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force indicating that images of minors engaged in sexual activity or appearing in a state of sexually explicit nudity were disseminated from an address within Beaufort County.
Investigators substantiated information received from the Attorney General’s office and obtained probable cause to search Corbin’s home.
BCSO executed a search warrant at his home on March 6, 2024, seeking evidence related to sexual.
At this time, none of the minors identified are Beaufort High School students, but it is still an active investigation, according to BCSO spokesperson Maj. Angela Viens. According to Viens, all of the minors were prepubescent.
An arrest warrant was issued for Corbin on March 12, 2024, and he surrendered to law enforcement early Wednesday morning.
Sexual Exploitation of a Minor, 2nd degree means that a person has downloaded or distributed sexually explicit material.
This is a felony that carries a minimum of two years in prison and a maximum of 10 years.
Corbin was not a faculty member of Beaufort High but is a stipended coach. According to a communication from Beaufort County School District, he is no longer employed due to pending criminal charges. The statement reads:
The Beaufort County School District (BCSD) has been made aware of pending criminal charges involving the Beaufort High School Girls Varsity golf coach, James Corbin, who also volunteered with the Boys JV soccer team. The purpose of this communication is to inform you that this individual is no longer employed by BCSD.
Although the district is unable to comment on an active law enforcement investigation or personnel matters, please do not hesitate to reach out to school administration if your child is in need of any support.
According to his LinkedIn page, Corbin has been the girls golf coach since August 2021 and began working as the JV soccer coach in January 2022.
His page also has him listed as currently working for Lockheed Martin as their Senior Systems Engineer, a position he has held since August 2022.
This is still an active investigation, and no further details will be released at this time, according to the release.
This story is developing and will be updated as more information is made available.
Delayna Earley, joined The Island News in 2022, formerly worked as a photojournalist for The Island Packet/The Beaufort Gazette, as well as newspapers in Indiana and Virginia. She can be reached at delayna.theislandnews@gmail.com.
