British man who hid in Europe pleads guilty to child sex crimes in SC court, AG says
A British citizen is heading to prison in the U.S. after he was extradited to the Midlands, where he pleaded guilty to sex crimes involving children, the South Carolina Attorney General’s office said.
In a Sumter County courtroom Tuesday, Malcolm Rainey pleaded guilty to second degree sexual exploitation of a minor, and third degree sexual exploitation of a minor, S.C. Attorney General Alan Wilson said in a news release.
The 51-year-old was sentenced to concurrent 10-year prison sentences, according to the release.
An investigation into online distribution of child sexual abuse material began in 2015, the S.C. Attorney General’s Office said.
Investigators identified a user of an online file sharing program who had made files available for download that contained “images of minors engaged in sexual activity or appearing in a state of sexually explicit nudity,” according to the release.
The user was traced to a home in Sumter County where Rainey lived at the time, Wilson’s Office said. On Feb. 2, 2016, a South Carolina Law Enforcement Division agent used a search warrant and seized multiple electronic devices from the home, while additional files of child sexual abuse material were located on Rainey’s devices, according to the release.
During the investigation, Rainey confessed to the SLED investigator, the S.C. Attorney General’s Office said.
Rainey was arrested on Feb. 10, 2016, when he was originally charged with four counts of second degree sexual exploitation of a minor, Sumter County court records show.
While out on bond, the British citizen fled the U.S. and returned to the United Kingdom, the S.C. Attorney General’s Office said. Prosecutors coordinated with Interpol, the U.S. Department of Justice, and The County Court in Northern Ireland to locate, detain, and extradite Rainey back to South Carolina, according to the release.
The regional Enforcement and Removal Office of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) was advised of Rainey’s conviction for the purpose of removing him from the U.S. after he serves his prison sentence, the S.C. Attorney General’s Office said. Upon his return to the U.K., Rainey will have to register as a sex offender, according to the release.
BEHIND THE STORY
MOREThis is a breaking news story
In a breaking news situation, facts can be unclear and the situation may still be developing. The State is trying to get important information to the public as quickly and accurately as possible. This story will be updated as more information becomes available, and some information in this story may change as the facts become clearer. Refresh this page later for more updated information.
