COLUMBIA, S.C. — Authorities have charged four people following an investigation into child sex trafficking that also uncovered two South Carolina victims.
According to the South Carolina U.S. Attorney's Office, three suspects from South Carolina and one from Arizona were charged in a 13-count indictment for their respective roles in the alleged trafficking of children, production of child pornography, and the coercion and enticement of a minor.
"While this indictment speaks for itself, human trafficking and child exploitation are vile crimes, and this office will swiftly and aggressively prosecute those who prey upon minors,” said Acting U.S. Attorney DeHart.
The indictment alleges that, in 2020, 25-year-old Hart William Grow of Surprise, Arizona and 36-year-old Theodore Woolings Bye III of Myrtle Beach "conspired to recruit, entice, harbor, transport, provide, obtain, maintain, patronize and solicit" a minor victim in South Carolina for a "commercial sex act."
From his home in Arizona, Grow is accused of pretending online to be a minor interested in a relationship, in this case a 17-year-old girl named Hannah who he pretended lived in Columbia.
"Using this false persona and promising love and affection, Grow groomed the minor victim to fall in love with 'Hannah,'" the U.S. Attorney's Office said.
Grow then allegedly used this position to begin an often violent sexual relationship with the victim.
Grow then required the victim to engage in violent sexual acts with other men, using social media and message boards to "make his minor victim available" to other men "in exchange for the men sending visual depictions of the sexual encounters" to him.
One of the men was allegedly Bye, who the indictment claims worked with the direction and assistance of Grow not only to participate in sexual acts with the victim but also made the victim available to others.
"According to the indictment, Bye would transport the victim to various locations in and around Myrtle Beach for commercial sex acts," the U.S. attorney's office said, adding that he would use message boards, social media, and texts to advertise.
Two others, 28-year-old Sanadin Mohamed Elrayes of Surfside Beach and 44-year-old Charles Joseph Spillane of Myrtle Beach, are accused of responding to the internet postings and setting up contact and "sexually explicit conduct" with the minor and producing visual depictions of the acts.
Then, in 2021, Grow is accused of beginning the process again with a second minor victim, coercing the new victim into producing "visual sexual depictions of sexually explicit conduct" until around the time of his arrest in Arizona.
Grow was ultimately charged with conspiracy to sexually traffic a minor, sexual trafficking of a minor, conspiracy to produce child pornography and to coerce and entice a minor, four counts of production of child pornography involving two victims, four counts of coercion and enticement of a minor involving two victims, and possession of child pornography.
Bye was charged with conspiracy to sexually traffic a minor, sexual trafficking of a minor, conspiracy to produce child pornography and to coerce and entice a minor, two counts of production of child pornography, two counts of coercion and enticement of a minor, and possession of child pornography.
Both face a sentence of up to life in prison.
Elrayes and Spillane each face charges of conspiracy to produce child pornography and to coerce and entice a minor. They face a maximum penalty of five years in prison.
“Human trafficking and child exploitation is real, and it is happening in South Carolina,” said South Carolina State Law Enforcement Division (SLED) Chief Mark Keel in a written statement. “We have and will continue to work in collaboration with our local and federal partners to rescue those being victimized and bring justice to those who profit from the misery of others.”
