SC politician charged with ‘depraved’ child sex crimes, prosecutor says
An unsealed federal grand jury indictment shows the “depraved” child sex crimes that a former South Carolina politician has been charged with committing, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
A federal grand jury in Charleston returned a 23-count indictment charging Kevin Phillip Hedgpeth with sex trafficking of a minor, coercion and enticement of a minor, production, distribution, receipt and possession of child sexual abuse material (a.k.a. child pornography) and attempted production of child sexual abuse material, the U.S. Attorney’s office said Thursday in a news release.
The 48-year-old former Hanahan City councilman made contact with numerous children and paid them to perform sex acts on camera for years, according to the release. He tried to record some minors having sex with their family members, the indictment shows.
The Hanahan resident used multiple social media platforms and aliases — often posing as a child — to record and distribute the child porn, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.
“The grand jury has charged Kevin Hedgpeth with a depraved, predatory criminal scheme through which he targeted the most vulnerable among us,” U.S. Attorney Bryan Stirling said in the release. “We look forward to holding Hedgpeth accountable to the fullest extent, and we will continue to dedicate every resource to defend children in our state.”
After he was initially arrested in April, Hedgpeth resigned as Hanahan mayor pro tem and from his position on the city council.
‘Deeply disturbing’
The newly released indictment says that from at least December 2021 through his arrest on federal charges in April 2026, Hedgpeth targeted, recruited, and sexually exploited children using the internet.
Hedgpeth used social media apps to contact children — including Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, Telegram and X — where he posed as a minor himself, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said. Through those apps, he pressured and often paid minors to record sex acts with other minors, including with some of their own family members, according to the indictment.
Hedgpeth then saved the files in password-protected folders accessible on his phone, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said. He named the folders after the actual names of victims. Hedgpeth distributed those files to others over the internet — including to minors — without victim consent, the indictment shows. Hedgpeth used the files to pose as a minor and to entice victims into producing additional content, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Hedgpeth exploited at least 19 children during the scheme — 13 girls and six boys — ranging in age from 12 to 17 years old, the indictment says. Most victims were in South Carolina, and some lived in his local community, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
“The charges in this indictment are deeply disturbing and represent a profound betrayal of trust, especially by someone who held positions of public responsibility,” Special Agent in charge of Homeland Security Investigations in North and South Carolina Mark Zito said in the release.
Who is Hedgpeth?
Hedgpeth was born and raised in Charlotte, North Carolina, then moved to Hanahan in 2009 and was elected to the council in 2018, according to biographical information the city of Hanahan published on its Facebook page in 2024.
“Prior to his election to council, Kevin was an active community member, Homer Owners Association board member, and Hanahan Exchange Club member,” Hanahan Mayor Christie Rainwater previously wrote. “Kevin lives in Tanner Plantation with his wife Angela and two sons.”
Hanahan, a small city in Berkeley County, is a bedroom community of Charleston and has a population of some 20,000 people.
If convicted, Hedgpeth faces a maximum punishment of life in prison, a $250,000 fine and lifetime term of supervision by the U.S. Probation Office following any prison sentence, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said. He also could be ordered to make restitution payable to victims and additional financial assessments, according to the release. There is no parole in the federal system.
Hedgpeth will remain detained pending trial, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.
It’s possible there are other victims, and investigators urge any to come forward.
Anyone with relevant information is asked to contact Homeland Security Investigations at Charleston_exploitationtips@hsi.dhs.gov, by telephone at 866-347-2423, or via the online tip form.
“We will pursue justice for every victim,” Zito said.
The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, and fellow Assistant U.S. Attorneys Dean Secor and Elliott Daniels are prosecuting the case.
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