A Fort Lawn man has been sentenced to 10 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to possession of child sexual abuse material. John Edward Prigmore, 40, was also ordered to serve a lifetime of court-ordered supervision upon his release and pay $3,000 in restitution.
The sentencing follows a 2023 investigation by the South Carolina Attorney General’s Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (ICAC). The task force executed a search warrant on Prigmore’s residence after receiving a cyber-tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC). Accounts linked to Prigmore were found to contain child sexual abuse material. A search of several of Prigmore’s electronic devices subsequently uncovered additional illegal material.
Prigmore has a prior state conviction for criminal sexual conduct with a minor.
The case was prosecuted under Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide U.S. Department of Justice initiative launched to combat the sexual exploitation and abuse of children. The project brings together federal, state, and local law enforcement resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute offenders while also working to identify and rescue victims.
The sentence was handed down by U.S. District Judge Mary Geiger Lewis. Prigmore will not be eligible for parole under the federal system.
Sign up for our Sunday Spectator. Delivered to your inbox every Sunday, with all the news from the week.
