The SC Attorney General’s Office has issued this statement: Laurens man arrested on Child Sexual Abuse Material* charge
COLUMBIA - South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson announced the arrest of Jonathan Thomas Bream, 28, of Laurens, S.C., on one charge connected to the sexual exploitation of minors. Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force investigators with the Attorney General’s Office made the arrest. Investigators with the Laurens County Sheriff’s Office and Homeland Security Investigations, both also members of the state’s ICAC Task Force, assisted with this investigation.
Investigators received a CyberTipline report from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), which led them to Bream. Investigators state that Bream distributed files of child sexual abuse material.
Bream was arrested on April 22, 2026. He is charged with one count of sexual exploitation of a minor, second degree (§16-15-405), a felony offense punishable by up to 10 years imprisonment.
The case will be prosecuted by the Attorney General’s Office. Attorney General Wilson stressed that all defendants are presumed innocent unless and until they are proven guilty in a court of law.
* Child sexual abuse material, or CSAM, is a more accurate reflection of the material involved in these heinous and abusive crimes. “Pornography” can imply the child was a consenting participant. Globally, the term child pornography is being replaced by CSAM for this reason.
SLED CHARGES FORMER LAURENS
COUNTY DETENTION DEPUTY WITH
CONTRABAND, MISCONDUCT IN OFFICE
The South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) charged Ashley Landreth, 36, with Contraband, Furnish or Possess in a County Detention Center, and Misconduct in Office by a Public Official on Tuesday, April 28, 2026. The Laurens County Sheriff’s Office requested the SLED investigation.
Landreth was booked into the Laurens County Detention Center. The case will be prosecuted by the 8th Circuit Solicitor’s Office.
An affidavit says Landreth allegedly furnished a cell phone to an inmate, between March 4, 2024, and Feb. 13, 2025, and communicated with inmates via the contraband phone, while employed as a Johnson Detention Center (Laurens County Sheriff’s Office) employee.
All defendants are presumed innocent unless and until they are proven guilty in a court of law.
The Laurens County Coroner’s Office has released the following statement: “Per Patti Canupp, On April 29, 2026, Chief Deputy Coroner Ashley Rushton was notified of a death that occurred at Prisma Health Greenville Memorial Hospital.
“On April 29, 2026 around 9:00pm, a vehicle struck a bicycle on Hwy 221 S/Laurel Hill Church Rd in Waterloo, SC.
“The bicyclist has been identified as 43-year-old male, Johnathon Smith of Waterloo, SC.
“The incident is currently under investigation by the South Carolina Highway Patrol and the Laurens County Coroner’s Office.”
The Highway Patrol reported that a 2013 Dodge Dart, traveling south, collided with the bicycle. The Dart driver did not suffer serious injuries, while the bicyclist was injured, taken to the hospital, and died.
An on-line reported said that Anderson County detectives have charged a 27-year-old man, E’Nicholas Leake, of Laurens, with murder in connection to the shooting death of 21-year-old Jamyuz Bennett in the area of Nelson Drive and River Street. According to investigators, Leake began chasing Bennett from a gas station near Highway 413 and Highway 252; and as the pursuit continued, Leake fired multiple shots into the maroon Kia, striking Bennett in the head. Two additional people inside the car were able to escape and told deputies they were being chased by the suspect’s car along Belton Anderson Highway.
Last Wednesday afternoon, with assistance from multiple agencies including South Carolina Law Enforcement Division and Richland County deputies, Leake was located in Columbia, where he led officers on a brief chase before stopping near Assembly Street and taking off on foot into the Strom Thurmond Wellness Center, where he was taken into custody. Leake was transported to the Anderson County Detention Center where he will appear before a judge on this murder charge.
All defendants are presumed innocent unless and until they are proven guilty in a court of law.
The Laurens Police have released this statement:
“City of Laurens Police Department Investigates School-Related Incident; No Danger to School
“The City of Laurens Police Department is aware of a situation involving a Sanders Middle School student related to the creation of a TikTok video containing inappropriate and threatening content.
“We are currently conducting an investigation into this matter in coordination with Laurens County School District 55. The student and the student’s parents have been contacted by the City of Laurens Police Department, and the school district is addressing disciplinary actions in accordance with its policies.
“At this time, there is no danger to the school, and there are no immediate threats to students or staff.
“We take all matters involving potential threats seriously, particularly those involving schools, and will continue to work closely with school officials as the investigation progresses. Due to the ongoing nature of this investigation, no further details are being released at this time. Any questions regarding potential charges should be directed to the City of Laurens Police Department.”
