Myrtle Beach man faces a century behind bars for distributing child porn, cops say
A Myrtle Beach man faces 100 years in prison after police say he distributed child pornography files.
The South Carolina Attorney General’s office announced on Tuesday that Ronald Gregg Hinch, 66, has been charged with 10 counts of second-degree sexual exploitation of a minor. Each charge can be punished by up to 10 years in prison.
State investigators say he distributed multiple files of child pornography. He also has related charges pending in Florida.
The Walton County (Florida) Sheriff’s Office’s Special Victims Unit conducted an undercover investigation into Hinch starting in December with an online chat. Officials said they pretended to be a 14-year-old girl, who Hinch allegedly sent nude images of himself. Hinch told the girl he intended to travel to Florida to have sex with her, officials said.
An arrest warrant was obtained in early May and a search of his Myrtle Beach home on May 30 produced “a large amount of child pornography,” according to a release.
Hinch remains incarcerated in J. Reuben Long Detention Center.
The Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force investigators and the Horry County Sheriff’s Office made the arrest. Police with the Walton County Sheriff’s Office, Conway Police Department, Myrtle Beach Police Department and Coastal Carolina Police Department assisted in the investigation.
This story was originally published June 4, 2019 at 6:57 PM.
