On Thursday, September 25, 2025, WCSC reported that Charleston County Magistrate Judge James B. Gosnell Jr., 68, waived his right to a preliminary hearing. Gosnell faces charges of possession of child sexual abuse material, according to the United States Department of Justice.

Gosnell was initially scheduled to appear in court on Monday for a hearing to determine bond. However, the hearing lasted only five minutes, during which Gosnell’s attorney, Lionel Lofton, requested additional time to prepare for a preliminary hearing. Court documents indicate that Gosnell has now waived this hearing, which means he will remain in jail. The date of his next court appearance is currently unclear.

Prior to the scheduled detention hearing, federal prosecutors submitted an 18-page motion opposing Gosnell’s release on bond. The motion alleges that Gosnell possessed a USB flash drive containing hundreds of videos of child sex abuse material. Furthermore, investigators reportedly found records of Gosnell communicating with another man who shared an interest in pedophilia. These communications included “unimaginably explicit conversations” suggesting a romantic involvement and a plan to abuse children together.

According to prosecutors, one conversation indicated that Gosnell planned to visit the man in Florida, where they intended to “jointly rape and torture” the infant son of a family member of the other man. The filing also alleges that Gosnell’s conversations on the Telegram app “reveal numerous instances in which he raped and abused children.”

Prosecutors further alleged that Gosnell described traveling to Puerto Vallarta to engage in sexual activity with a 2-year-old and a 5-year-old. They also claimed that he made other international trips for the purpose of engaging in sex with children.

Authorities are asking the public to help identify potential child victims. Homeland Security Investigations and the U.S. Attorney’s Office are urging anyone who knows of a child who was ever alone with or held by Gosnell to contact them via email at [email protected].

U.S. Attorney for South Carolina Bryan Stirling stated that Gosnell held a position of trust to protect the community. He added, “He is alleged to have abused the most vulnerable of us – infants and toddlers.”

The South Carolina Supreme Court suspended Gosnell from his position as a Charleston County magistrate judge on September 16, following the charge of possessing child sexual abuse material. The U.S. Justice Department has not yet specified whether additional charges will be filed.

Gosnell previously presided over the bond hearing of Dylann Roof, the convicted Charleston church shooter, in June 2015, the day after the killing of nine parishioners at Mother Emanuel AME Church.
During the hearing, Gosnell made a personal statement from the bench, in front of the relatives of the victims, stating that there were victims on “both sides,” referring to Roof’s family, which drew criticism. He said, “We must find it in our heart at some point in time, not only to help those that are victims, but to help his family as well.”

On June 24, 2015, then-South Carolina Chief Justice Jean Toal replaced Gosnell as chief magistrate.
Rosalyn Frierson, spokesperson for the South Carolina Supreme Court Clerk of Court, stated that terms for chief magistrates run for six months and Gosnell’s term was set to expire six days later. She added that it is “not uncommon” for a magistrate to be replaced before the end of their term.

 

 

Source: WCSC