---
type: "Bill"
title: "Sexual Exploitation of a Minor, penalties"
description: "AN ACT TO AMEND THE SOUTH CAROLINA CODE OF LAWS BY AMENDING SECTION 16-15-395, RELATING TO FIRST DEGREE SEXUAL EXPLOITATION OF A MINOR, SO AS TO INCREASE THE MINIMUM PENALTY TO FIVE YEARS' IMPRISONMENT AND PROVIDE AN ADDITIONAL PENALTY FOR REGISTERED SEX OFFENDERS WHO VIOLATE THE STATUTE; BY AMENDING SECTION 16-15-405, RELATING TO SECOND DEGREE SEXUAL EXPLOITATION OF A MINOR, SO AS TO INCREASE THE MINIMUM PENALTY TO THREE YEARS' IMPRISONMENT AND PROVIDE AN ADDITIONAL PENALTY FOR REGISTERED SEX OFFENDERS WHO VIOLATE THE STATUTE; AND BY AMENDING SECTION 16-15-410, RELATING TO THIRD DEGREE SEXUAL EXPLOITATION OF A MINOR, SO AS TO ESTABLISH PENALTIES BASED ON THE NUMBER OF IMAGES POSSESSED, INCLUDING A PENALTY OF UP TO TEN YEARS IF THERE ARE ONE TO TWENTY-FIVE IMAGES, ONE TO TEN YEARS IF THERE ARE TWENTY-SIX TO TWO HUNDRED FIFTY IMAGES, AND A PENALTY OF TWO TO TEN YEARS IF THERE ARE MORE THAN TWO HUNDRED FIFTY IMAGES; AND TO PROVIDE A MINIMUM PENALTY OF FIVE YEARS FOR A REGISTERED SEX OFFENDER WHO VIOLATES THE STATUTE - RATIFIED TITLE"
jurisdiction: "us/states/sc"
legislature: "South Carolina General Assembly"
session: "2025-2026"
identifier: "H 4804"
citation: "South Carolina H 4804 (2025-2026)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: []
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["B. Newton", "Beach", "Bowers", "Burns", "C. Mitchell", "Chapman", "Chumley", "Cromer", "D. Mitchell", "Edgerton", "Forrest", "Frank", "Gibson", "Gilreath", "Govan", "Guffey", "Haddon", "Hartz", "Kilmartin", "Lastinger", "Ligon", "Magnuson", "McCravy", "Morgan", "Oremus", "Pace", "Pedalino", "Pope", "T. Moore", "Terribile", "Vaughan", "W. Newton", "White", "Wickensimer", "Willis", "Yow"]
version_count: 7
action_count: 29
vote_count: 3
first_action: "2025-12-16"
last_action: "2026-06-02"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/d64db4d8-c3bb-4ad1-8427-6143538958f0"
source_url: "https://www.scstatehouse.gov/billsearch.php?billnumbers=4804&session=126&summary=B"
source_hash: "e07f63f8c0df08a1366c310c865ca026114fced7a392477f40f11be6558a94c9"
vintage: "2026-07-01"
source_snapshot: "https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump"
retrieved_at: "2026-07-06"
confidence: "reported"
tags: ["legislation", "bill", "us-sc"]
---

# South Carolina H 4804 (2025-2026) — Sexual Exploitation of a Minor, penalties

AN ACT TO AMEND THE SOUTH CAROLINA CODE OF LAWS BY AMENDING SECTION 16-15-395, RELATING TO FIRST DEGREE SEXUAL EXPLOITATION OF A MINOR, SO AS TO INCREASE THE MINIMUM PENALTY TO FIVE YEARS' IMPRISONMENT AND PROVIDE AN ADDITIONAL PENALTY FOR REGISTERED SEX OFFENDERS WHO VIOLATE THE STATUTE; BY AMENDING SECTION 16-15-405, RELATING TO SECOND DEGREE SEXUAL EXPLOITATION OF A MINOR, SO AS TO INCREASE THE MINIMUM PENALTY TO THREE YEARS' IMPRISONMENT AND PROVIDE AN ADDITIONAL PENALTY FOR REGISTERED SEX OFFENDERS WHO VIOLATE THE STATUTE; AND BY AMENDING SECTION 16-15-410, RELATING TO THIRD DEGREE SEXUAL EXPLOITATION OF A MINOR, SO AS TO ESTABLISH PENALTIES BASED ON THE NUMBER OF IMAGES POSSESSED, INCLUDING A PENALTY OF UP TO TEN YEARS IF THERE ARE ONE TO TWENTY-FIVE IMAGES, ONE TO TEN YEARS IF THERE ARE TWENTY-SIX TO TWO HUNDRED FIFTY IMAGES, AND A PENALTY OF TWO TO TEN YEARS IF THERE ARE MORE THAN TWO HUNDRED FIFTY IMAGES; AND TO PROVIDE A MINIMUM PENALTY OF FIVE YEARS FOR A REGISTERED SEX OFFENDER WHO VIOLATES THE STATUTE - RATIFIED TITLE

## Version chain

The bill's text revisions, in order — the diff chain from filing to enrollment.

1. **Filed** (filed) — [source](https://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess126_2025-2026/bills/4804.htm)
2. **03/26/2026** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess126_2025-2026/prever/4804_20260326.htm)
3. **03/31/2026** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess126_2025-2026/prever/4804_20260331.htm)
4. **04/29/2026** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess126_2025-2026/prever/4804_20260429.htm)
5. **05/06/2026** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess126_2025-2026/prever/4804_20260506.htm)
6. **05/13/2026** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess126_2025-2026/prever/4804_20260513.htm)
7. **12/17/2025** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess126_2025-2026/prever/4804_20251217.htm)

## Votes

- 2nd Reading — **42–0** (pass) · upper
- Passage of Bill — **109–0** (pass) · lower
- Adopt Amendment 1A — **111–0** (pass) · lower

## Sponsors

- B. Newton — primary (person)
- Beach — primary (person)
- Bowers — primary (person)
- Burns — primary (person)
- C. Mitchell — primary (person)
- Chapman — primary (person)
- Chumley — primary (person)
- Cromer — primary (person)
- D. Mitchell — primary (person)
- Edgerton — primary (person)
- Forrest — primary (person)
- Frank — primary (person)
- Gibson — primary (person)
- Gilreath — primary (person)
- Govan — primary (person)
- Guffey — primary (person)
- Haddon — primary (person)
- Hartz — primary (person)
- Kilmartin — primary (person)
- Lastinger — primary (person)
- Ligon — primary (person)
- Magnuson — primary (person)
- McCravy — primary (person)
- Morgan — primary (person)
- Oremus — primary (person)
- Pace — primary (person)
- Pedalino — primary (person)
- Pope — primary (person)
- T. Moore — primary (person)
- Terribile — primary (person)
- Vaughan — primary (person)
- W. Newton — primary (person)
- White — primary (person)
- Wickensimer — primary (person)
- Willis — primary (person)
- Yow — primary (person)

## Timeline

The legislative action history — every referral, reading, and vote.

- **2025-12-16** Prefiled `filing`
- **2025-12-16** Referred to Committee on Judiciary `referral-committee`
- **2026-01-13** Introduced and read first time `introduction, reading-1`
- **2026-01-13** Referred to Committee on Judiciary `referral-committee`
- **2026-01-20** Member(s) request name added as sponsor: White
- **2026-01-28** Member(s) request name added as sponsor: Cromer, Edgerton, Burns, Beach, Morgan, Terribile, Pace, Kilmartin, Gilreath, Magnuson, Frank, McCravy, Hartz, D.Mitchell, Haddon, Willis, Wickensimer, Vaughan, Pedalino, Chumley
- **2026-02-05** Member(s) request name added as sponsor: Govan
- **2026-03-25** Member(s) request name added as sponsor: Lastinger, C.Mitchell, Yow, Guffey
- **2026-03-26** Committee report: Favorable with amendment Judiciary `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2026-03-31** Member(s) request name added as sponsor: Bowers, Ligon, Chapman, B.Newton, W.Newton, Forrest, Oremus, Gibson
- **2026-03-31** Amended `amendment-passage`
- **2026-03-31** Read second time `reading-2`
- **2026-03-31** Roll call Yeas-109 Nays-0
- **2026-04-01** Read third time and sent to Senate `passage, reading-3`
- **2026-04-01** Introduced and read first time `introduction, reading-1`
- **2026-04-01** Referred to Committee on Judiciary `referral-committee`
- **2026-04-29** Recalled from Committee on Judiciary
- **2026-05-06** Amended `amendment-passage`
- **2026-05-06** Read second time `reading-2`
- **2026-05-06** Roll call Ayes-42 Nays-0
- **2026-05-07** Read third time and returned to House with amendments `passage, reading-3`
- **2026-05-13** Senate amendment amended `amendment-amendment`
- **2026-05-13** Returned to Senate with amendments
- **2026-05-13** Roll call Yeas-111 Nays-0
- **2026-05-13** Concurred in House amendment and enrolled
- **2026-05-14** Ratified R 204
- **2026-05-18** Signed By Governor `executive-signature`
- **2026-06-02** Effective date 05/18/26
- **2026-06-02** Act No. 189

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/d64db4d8-c3bb-4ad1-8427-6143538958f0`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official South Carolina legislature records).