On Wednesday, September 17, 2025, ABC 4 News reported that Charleston County Magistrate James Benjamin Gosnell Jr. was arrested on Tuesday by federal agents and charged with possession of child sexual abuse material. Gosnell, 68, was arraigned Wednesday morning before U.S. Magistrate Judge Molly Cherry.
The criminal complaint against Gosnell stems from a tip received by Homeland Security Investigations from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. The tip concerned multiple financial transactions linked to a known distributor of child sexual abuse material in the United Kingdom. According to investigators, these payments originated from a peer-to-peer online money transfer account connected to Gosnell’s phone number, address, and email account. These transactions occurred in November 2024.
Subsequently, agents obtained a search warrant for Gosnell’s residence and electronic devices. During the search, a flash drive was discovered containing numerous videos and images depicting child sexual abuse, including depictions of prepubescent minors, infants, and toddlers engaged in sexually explicit conduct.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Katherine Orville, Whit Sowards, and Emily Limehouse. The investigation is part of Project Safe Childhood, a national initiative launched by the U.S. Department of Justice in 2006 to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse.
Following the emergence of credible information, the South Carolina Supreme Court suspended Gosnell, citing that his “continued service would pose a substantial threat of serious harm to the public and the administration of justice.”
The Charleston County government is aware of the order. The government has discontinued Gosnell’s access to county facilities, devices, and accounts, according to public information officer Chloe Fields.
Charleston County has announced that all hearings are expected to proceed as scheduled, with Chief Judge Summey Hayes and Judge Amanda S. Haselden presiding over preliminary and bond courts.
Gosnell has previously faced scrutiny for controversial remarks made during a bond hearing for Dylan Roof, the individual accused of the Emanuel AME Church shooting. During that hearing, Gosnell stated that Roof’s family should also be considered victims, a comment that drew criticism from the victims’ families present in the court.
Additionally, court documents from the South Carolina Justice Department’s website indicate that Gosnell used racially motivated language while on the bench during a 2003 bond reduction hearing.
Source: ABC 4 News
