A 76-year-old Westminster man remains behind bars after the Oconee County Sheriff's Office booked him on one felony count tied to child sexual abuse material found during a search of his home. Anthony Carl Michaud was taken into custody on September 9 and now faces a $10,000 surety bond, with electronic monitoring required if he's released.
Search Warrant Executed on Whispering Pines Drive
According to the Oconee County Sheriff's Office
, agents executed a search warrant at Michaud's home on Whispering Pines Drive near Westminster on September 9 and gathered additional evidence at the scene. The sheriff's office says Michaud was charged with one count of sexual exploitation of a minor in the third degree, with an arrest warrant alleging he possessed material depicting minors engaged in sexual activity or sexually explicit nudity. The sheriff's office said the investigation is continuing.
Local station 94.1 – The Lake / WSNW reported that Deputy Joseph Wiewel took Michaud into custody pursuant to an outstanding warrant, and that booking records initially reflected a $10,000 bond. Michaud was booked into the Oconee County Detention Center at approximately 4:08 p.m. on September 9, per the sheriff's office. Deputies obtained the arrest warrants against Michaud, and the sheriff's office says the investigation is continuing, with additional charges possible depending on what further evidence turns up.
State Law Sets Steep Penalties, Registry Requirement
Under South Carolina Code § 16-15-410, third-degree sexual exploitation of a minor is addressed under South Carolina law, according to the South Carolina Legislature. That statute criminalizes the knowing possession of visual representations depicting minors in sexually explicit activity. A conviction under that section also triggers mandatory registration on the state's Sex Offender Registry, per South Carolina Code § 23-3-430 as cited by Justia Law.
State lawmakers have recently moved to stiffen penalties in this category of case. Governor Henry McMaster signed House Bill 4804 into law in May, increasing mandatory minimum sentences and creating enhanced penalties for sexual exploitation of a minor offenses effective immediately, according to the Law Office of James R. Snell, Jr. The firm also discusses cases like Michaud's.
Part of a Wider Upstate Pattern
Michaud's arrest follows closely on the heels of another Oconee County case. On September 4, the Oconee County Sheriff's Office arrested 25-year-old Seneca resident Dalton Edward Eller on 25 counts of third-degree sexual exploitation of a minor following a separate 2025 NCMEC CyberTip investigation, according to a report from the sheriff's office carried by the Oconee County Sheriff's Office. The sheriff's office has also handled other digital exploitation investigations.
These local cases are unfolding amid national reporting to NCMEC's CyberTipline. The South Carolina Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, run through the state Attorney General's Office, is involved in investigations like these, per the South Carolina Attorney General's Office.
The broader Upstate context includes another Oconee County case involving sexual-exploitation charges. The Oconee County Sheriff's Office says its investigation into Michaud remains open, and additional charges have not been ruled out as forensic review continues.
