Sam Stephens who was the Church Director of Children’s Ministry at Saint Thomas Church in Greenville, South Carolina, Anglican Diocese of the Carolinas (ADOC), was arrested on Wednesday, October 7, 2026 for “Sexual exploitation of a minor, Third degree, 1 to 25 (inclusive) images.” (link) He was charged with one count of third-degree sexual exploitation of a minor (S.C. Code § 16-15-410),1 a felony involving the possession of child sexual abuse material (CSAM) that carries a penalty of up to 10 years’ imprisonment.
According to the Office of the Attorney General in South Carolina:
Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force investigators with the Greenville County Sheriff’s Office and the Anderson County Sheriff’s Office made the arrests in these unrelated cases. Investigators with the South Carolina Attorney General’s Office, Anderson Police Department, and Homeland Security Investigations, all also members of the state’s ICAC Task Force, assisted with these investigations.
Investigators received CyberTipline reports from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), which led them to Stephens and Winiecki. Investigators state Winiecki possessed and distributed files of child sexual abuse material, and Stephens possessed files of child sexual abuse material.
These cases will be prosecuted by the Attorney General’s Office.
When Saint Thomas Church announced his hiring, they said:
Church Ministry: He served for two years on the church’s Seed Team and has taught both from the pulpit and in Saint Thomas Kids, covering topics such as the Apostle’s Creed. His prior ministry includes writing and teaching middle and high school Sunday School curricula, as well as youth work abroad in Australia and Croatia.
Professional & Educational Background: He works as the IT Support Center Supervisor at Bob Jones University, where he also earned a BS in Engineering and a Master of Divinity.
The Rev. Mike Juday wrote:
What we have done
Since the developments on October 7, the Church has taken the following steps:
- Sent a letter informing Sam Stephens of his removal from every role at Saint Thomas Church and ended all access to our facilities, systems, children’s check-in, email, and communications.
- Reported the matter to the Anglican Diocese of the Carolinas through its abuse or misconduct reporting process and informed Bishop David Bryan.
- Made a report to the SC Department of Social Services.
- Have and continue to fully cooperate with law enforcement.
- Notified our insurer and legal counsel.
- Confirmed that our children’s ministry operates under the diocesan safeguarding policy, and did so during Sam’s service with the Church.
What we do not know
Based on the information currently available to us, we are not aware of any parish child being involved in the alleged conduct. Our information remains limited, and we encourage anyone with a concern to report it directly to authorities, whose information is below. In general, this charge concerns knowing possession of unlawful sexual images involving minors. At this point, these are allegations only. And while the Church is taking the matter with the seriousness it deserves, we are not taking any position on the truth or merit of the charge that has been brought. It is the legal process, not us, that will determine the outcome.
Parents: If your child says anything to you suggesting inappropriate conduct, communications, photographs, or interactions involving a child, take them seriously. Contact law enforcement or the SC Department of Social Services. If you or your children need support, our counselors are available; their contact information follows. We are here to support you in any way. And I am available to you and your families; you are my priority.
In the past few years the ACNA has seen several individuals arrested for similar charges, including Craig Daugherty, Jeremy Alcorn, Phillip J. Shade, and Frank Gough II.
- SECTION 16-15-410. Third degree sexual exploitation of a minor defined; penalties; exception.
(A) An individual commits the offense of third degree sexual exploitation of a minor if, knowing the character or content of the material, he possesses material that contains a visual representation of a minor or a morphed image of an identifiable minor engaging in sexual activity or appearing in a state of sexually explicit nudity when a reasonable person would infer the purpose is sexual stimulation.
(B) In a prosecution pursuant to this section, the trier of fact may infer that a participant in sexual activity or a state of sexually explicit nudity depicted as a minor through its title, text, visual representation, or otherwise, is a minor.
(C)(1) A person who violates the provisions of this section is guilty of a felony and, upon conviction, must be imprisoned for:
(a) not more than ten years if the person possesses one to twenty-five or less visual representations or images;
(b) one to ten years if the person possesses twenty-six images to two hundred fifty visual representations or images; and
(c) two to ten years if the person possesses more than two hundred fifty visual representations or images.
(2) A person who violates the provisions of this section and previously has been convicted of an offense that required the person to register as a sex offender in accordance with Section 23-3-430, upon conviction, must be imprisoned for a minimum of five years.
(3) For any violation of the provisions of this section, no part of the minimum sentence may be suspended nor is the person convicted eligible for parole until he has served the minimum sentence.
(D) This section does not apply to an employee of a law enforcement agency, including the State Law Enforcement Division, a prosecuting agency, including the South Carolina Attorney General’s Office, or the South Carolina Department of Corrections who, while acting within the employee’s official capacity in the course of an investigation or criminal proceeding, is in possession of material that contains a visual representation of a minor engaging in sexual activity or appearing in a state of sexually explicit nudity when a reasonable person would infer the purpose is sexual stimulation. The employee’s official capacity in the course of such investigation or criminal proceeding includes making material available for inspection to the defendant’s counsel in response to discovery requests.
(E) The offense is a misdemeanor to be heard by the family court if the person charged under the provisions of subsection (A) is a minor and the offense is the minor’s first charge related to a morphed image of an identifiable minor. The family court may order behavioral health counseling from an appropriate agency or provider, as a condition of adjudicating a minor. ↩︎
Leave a Reply