Beaufort Co. man charged with sexual exploitation of a minor

BEAUFORT COUNTY, S.C. (WCSC) - A Hilton Head Island man is facing charges after deputies say they found evidence of sexual exploitation of a minor on his phone.

Jared Smith, 34, was arrested Wednesday after Beaufort County deputies found evidence of sexual exploitation of a minor on a phone seized during a search of his home.

He’s being charged with third-degree sexual exploitation of a minor.

Investigators said Smith was an employee of the Beaufort County School District and that the district was made aware of the investigation after the original tip was validated.

Deputies said the original tip allowed them to have probable cause to obtain the warrant executed on Tuesday. Members of the Sheriff’s Office Device Extraction Unit were able to examine the phone where the media was located.

Smith was being held in the Beaufort County Detention Center.