Prosecutors from South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson’s office recently announced the arrest of an attorney from Aiken on multiple serious charges related to the exploitation of minors.
William Daniel Mayes, aged 54, was taken into custody last Tuesday, October 29, 2024. His arrest was carried out by investigators from the Attorney General’s Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force and the Aiken County Sheriff’s Office. The actions followed a report from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) via the CyberTipline.
During the investigation, authorities discovered that Mayes had recorded someone without their permission and was found to have materials categorized as child sexual abuse, also known as child pornography.
Following his arrest, the South Carolina Supreme Court suspended Mayes’ law license indefinitely. This news has sent shockwaves through the local Aiken community, where Mayes has been recognized as a prominent attorney at the firm Smith Massey Brodie Guynn and Mayes, which focuses on areas like real estate, family, and tax law. The firm has since removed his bio from their website.
Local residents expressed their disbelief, with one stating, “Shocked is an understatement. He’s been a very successful, prominent lawyer.”
Mayes is facing five counts of third-degree sexual exploitation of a minor, a felony that could lead to a maximum of ten years in prison for each count. He also faces two counts of voyeurism, a misdemeanor that could result in three years of imprisonment for each count.
Aiken County Magistrate Judge Lauren Maurice set Mayes’ personal recognizance bond at $5,000 on October 30, 2024. The investigation involved assistance from various agencies, including the SCPPP and Homeland Security Investigations, with the case now in the hands of the attorney general’s office for prosecution.
As is customary in the legal system, Mayes is presumed innocent until proven guilty, or unless he decides to enter a plea agreement regarding any of the charges he faces.
