A 23-year-old social media influencer from Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, is facing six felony charges after investigators say a national tip line led them to files of child sexual abuse material and a video allegedly showing a toddler being assaulted. Carson Dean Barry was arrested on Sept. 10 and booked on five counts of third-degree sexual exploitation of a minor and one count of criminal solicitation of a minor.
The case began after investigators received a CyberTipline report from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, which led them to Barry, according to The Post and Courier. Investigators state that Barry solicited a minor for sex and possessed files of child sexual abuse material, the outlet reports. Barry is based in the Charleston, South Carolina, area, and built a following as a social media influencer, according to WSMV.
Devices Seized During August Search
Investigators seized several electronic devices from Barry's home, including a computer tower and two iPhones, according to Count on 2. Authorities also allegedly found a 12-second video on one of the phones that showed a toddler being sexually assaulted by a man, as reported by Fox Carolina. Mount Pleasant sits across the water from Charleston near the South Carolina coast.
Barry has more than 423,000 followers on TikTok and almost 150,000 on Instagram, per the same account from Fox Carolina.
Bond Set at $1 Million, Multiple Agencies Involved
Charleston County jail records showed Barry's total bond was set at $1 million, and he was released minutes after midnight on Sept. 13, according to the Fox Carolina report. Homeland Security Investigations, the Summerville Police Department and the Charleston County Sheriff's Office assisted with the investigation, the Post and Courier notes.
Each of the six felony counts Barry faces is punishable by up to 10 years in prison upon conviction, according to the Post and Courier. The case remains under investigation, and no additional details about Barry's response to the charges have been made public.
