Investigations by the Georgetown County Sheriff’s Office have led to the arrests of seven Internet child predator suspects this year, including a computer programmer in Florida whom police nabbed Thursday, according to Sheriff Lane Cribb.
The arrests are the result of work by the sheriff’s office’s computer crimes division, which began in February.
Late Friday, authorities in Georgetown were waiting for their latest suspect, Justin Slavinski, a 32-year-old computer programmer from Florida, to arrive in Georgetown County. He was being extradited and expected to arrive after 10:30 p.m.
Slavinski is charged with criminal solicitation of a minor and three counts of dissemination of obscene material to a minor.
He is accused of soliciting dozens of girls.
Georgetown County sheriff’s deputies began investigating Slavinski in March, when police first learned he was making online contact with minors for sexual activity, said Carrie Cuthbertson, spokeswoman for the sheriff’s office.
Slavinski was arrested near Orlando., Cribb said. .
Florida police searched Slavinski’s home, where they found child pornography on his computer.
Slavinski, according to the Florida officials, had been in contact with as many as 40 young girls and sent 27,000 instant messages throughout Florida and other states.
At the request of the S.C. Attorney General’s office, which is prosecuting the case, the number and ages of victims in Georgetown County has not been released.
Slavinski is married, police said.
It is not known if charges are pending in other jurisdictions against him.
Others charged after the computer crimes division investigations:
• Henry Fredrick Borgeson, 26, of Myrtle Beach was charged in March with first degree criminal sexual conduct with a minor, participation in the prostitution of a minor and solicitation.
• Ryan Sean Bowlen, 26, of Little River, was charged with first degree criminal sexual conduct with a minor under 11 and dissemination of obscene material to a person under 18 in March.
• Michael John Bourque Jr., 23, of Murrells Inlet was charged with criminal solicitation of a minor and second degree attempted criminal sexual conduct with a minor in July.
• Billy Jo Lynch, 31, of Greer, was charged with solicitation and dissemination of obscene material to a person under 18. He also was arrested in March.
• Brandon Alexander Peluso, 21, of De Mossville, Ky., was charged in May with first degree criminal sexual conduct with a minor under 11 and criminal solicitation of a minor.
On Sept. 19, Ricky Joe Sansom, 22, of Greensboro, N.C., was charged with criminal solicitation of a minor.
Contact AMANDA KELLEY at 626-0381.
