Lexington County Men arrested on unrelated Child Sexual Abuse Material charges

Lexington, SC 03/06/2023 - South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson recently announced the arrest of Joshua Daniel Callahan, 24, of Pelion, and Christopher P. Veltmann, 68, of Gaston on seven total charges connected to the sexual exploitation of minors. Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force investigators with the Lexington County Sheriff's Department made the arrests in these unrelated cases. Investigators with the Attorney General's Office, also a member of the state's ICAC Task Force, assisted with these investigations.

According to Attorney General Wilson, Investigators received a CyberTipline report from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) which led them to both Callahan and Veltmann. Investigators state Callahan distributed child sexual abuse material and Veltmann distributed and possessed files of child sexual abuse material.

Callahan was arrested on February 28, 2023. He is charged with one count of sexual exploitation of a minor in the second degree. This is a felony offense punishable by up to 10 years in prison.

Veltmann was also arrested on February 28, 2023. He is charged with one count of sexual exploitation of a minor in the second degree. Again, this is a felony offense punishable by up to 10 years imprisonment. He was also charged with five counts of sexual exploitation of a minor in the third degree. These are all felonies punishable by up to 10 years in prison on each count.

Both of these cases will be prosecuted by the Attorney General's Office. Attorney General Wilson stressed all defendants are presumed innocent unless and until they are proven guilty in a court of law.

PHOTO CAPTION: Joshua Daniel Callahan, 24, of Pelion

PHOTO CAPTION: Christopher P. Veltmann, 68, of Gaston