https://abcnews4.com/news/local/sc-supreme-court-suspends-charleston-county-magistrate-judge-wciv-abc-news-4-2025-investigation-james-b-gosnell
CHARLESTON COUNTY, S.C. (WCIV) Federal agents arrested a Charleston County magistrate on a criminal complaint charging him with possession of child sexual abuse material, authorities with the Department of Justice said.
James Benjamin Gosnell Jr., 68, was taken into custody Tuesday and is scheduled to be arraigned Wednesday morning before U.S. Magistrate Judge Molly Cherry, according to federal prosecutors.
The complaint alleges that agents with Homeland Security Investigations received a tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children about multiple financial transactions tied to a known distributor of child sexual abuse material in the United Kingdom.
The payments were sent from a peer-to-peer online money transfer account linked to Gosnells phone number, address and email account, investigators said. The transactions took place in November 2024.
Agents later obtained a search warrant for Gosnells home and electronic devices. During the search, they found a flash drive containing numerous videos and images of child sexual abuse, including depictions of prepubescent minors, infants and toddlers engaged in sexually explicit conduct, according to the complaint.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Katherine Orville, Whit Sowards and Emily Limehouse.
Prosecutors said the investigation was part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched by the U.S. Department of Justice in 2006 to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse.
Gosnell was suspended after reportedly credible information was provided to the South Carolina Supreme Court, showing that Gosnell's "continued service would pose a substantial threat of serious harm to the public and the administration of justice," the document stated.
According to a release from Charleston County, the "government has been made aware of an order by the South Carolina Supreme Court Chief Justice John Kittredge." All hearings are expected to continue as scheduled, with Chief Judge Summey Hayes and Judge Amanda S. Haselden presiding over preliminary and bond courts.
Additionally, the Charleston County Government discontinued Gosnell's access to county facilities, devices and accounts, said Chloe Fields, a public information officer.
Gosnell previously made headlines after he made controversial comments during a bond hearing for Dylan Roof, the man accused of shooting nine people inside Emanuel AME Church.
During the bond hearing, Gosnell reportedly was roundly criticized after telling the court, which included the members of the victims' families, that Roof's family should also be considered victims.
"We have victims, nine of them. But we also have victims on the other side. We must find it in our heart at some point in time not only to help those who are victims but also to help their family as well," Gosnell was reported saying.
Additionally, court documents pulled from the South Carolina Justice Department's website show Gosnell, during a 2003 bond reduction hearing, using racially motivated language while on the bench.
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