Columbia TV Journalist Arrested on Child Pornography Charges, AG Confirms
Columbia Local News Reporter Detained for Child Sexual Exploitation
In a shocking development in Columbia, a local journalist stationed with WACH FOX 57 has been detained on charges associated with possession and dissemination of child sexual exploitation materials. Officials from the Attorney General’s office have confirmed the arrest of Matt Vereen, a noted weekend anchor and sports reporter.
Allegations and Arrest
As reported by the South Carolina Attorney General’s Office, 28-year-old Vereen was taken into custody on Wednesday and transferred to the Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center. The journalist faces three charges relating to the sexual exploitation of a minor. These include two counts in the second degree and an additional count in the third degree.
An official statement revealed that Vereen’s arrest was brought about by the Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force investigators who are a part of the South Carolina Attorney General’s Office. The operation was carried out alongside officers from the Columbia Police Department and Homeland Security Investigations, with the support of the state’s ICAC Task Force.
Findings from Search Warrants
Arrest warrants unveil distressing details by stating that child sexual abuse material involving a minor girl was discovered on Vereen’s Apple laptop during a search conducted on Wednesday. Additional search results further claim that Vereen solicited the purchase of two videos, each featuring an underage girl, with run times of one minute and 32 seconds and one minute and 26 seconds respectively. The identification of the accused was made possible through records from Gmail, Apple, ISP, and one redacted record.
Reports from Vereen’s LinkedIn page show that the accused had been working for WACH FOX 57 as a sports reporter and anchor for almost three years, with his previous job also as a sports reporter and anchor at a news station in Springfield, Missouri.
Action Taken and Possible Consequences
In response to the allegations, WACH FOX 57 has subsequently suspended Vereen. The Alvin S. Glenn Bond Court has confirmed the imposition of a $40,000 cash surety bond on Vereen, with stricter conditions that prohibit personal internet usage, utilization of social media outside work context, and interaction with minors without adult supervision. If convicted, he is looking at a prison sentence of up to 30 years, as per the directions from the Attorney General’s Office.
Upon addressing the matter, WACH FOX 57 released an official statement: “Sports reporter Matt Vereen has been arrested and charged with three counts of sexual exploitation of a minor, as per the Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force investigators from the South Carolina Attorney General’s Office. WACH FOX News acknowledges the gravity of these accusations and, as such, Vereen has been suspended pending an investigation. Given the personnel-related nature of this incident, the station will refrain from further commenting at this juncture.”
The Attorney General’s Office will be handling the prosecution of this case.
