Bennettsville man on sex-offender registry had child pornography on his phone, Marlboro County deputies say

MARLBORO COUNTY, S.C. (WBTW) — A Bennettsville man was arrested Thursday after investigators reported finding images of child pornography on his cellphone, the Marlboro County Sheriff’s Office said.

James Edward Driggers, 49, was arrested after the deputies were contacted by the South Carolina Department of Probation, Pardon and Parole Services, which found the images during a routine check of his phone. His phone was seized for further analysis.

Driggers is a registered sex offender but had not reported to the registry in Marlboro County since January, the sheriff’s office said. Because of his status on the registry, he is not permitted to have any social media or pornography on his cellphone.

At the time of his arrest, Driggers was on probation after a 2013 conviction for criminal sexual conduct with a minor younger than 11, the sheriff’s office said.

Driggers is charged with charged with possession of child pornography, failure to register as a sex offender and third-degree sexual exploitation of a minor. He was denied bond during a magistrate court hearing on Friday.