Anderson County Men Jailed for Alleged Sex Crimes

The Anderson County Sheriff’s Office has announced the arrest of Brian Patrick Baum on charges of possessing and distributing child sexual abuse material. The arrest follows the execution of a search warrant in late March at Baum’s residence on Cox Lake Road in Belton, where investigators found evidence linking him to the illegal material.

The Sheriff’s Office said that several cyber tips submitted to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children raised concerns about Baum’s online activity, which included viewing images of children between the ages of 6 and 13. At this time, there is no evidence that any of the victims were local. Baum has been charged with four counts of sexual exploitation of a minor in the second degree and is awaiting trial, which will be prosecuted by the Attorney General’s Office.

In a separate and unrelated case, the South Carolina Attorney General’s Office announced the arrest of Camden Scott Douglas, 19, of Anderson, on charges of sexual exploitation of a minor. Douglas was taken into custody on April 4 and is facing 20 charges, including 10 counts of sexual exploitation of a minor in the second degree and 10 counts of sexual exploitation of a minor in the third degree. The case will also be prosecuted by the Attorney General’s Office.

Attorney General Alan Wilson emphasized that all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.