A 35-year-old man from Wagener, South Carolina, faces two felony charges after admitting to internet-based sexual exploitation of a minor. Matthew Corey Hulst was arrested by the Aiken County Sheriff’s Office following a tip from the state Attorney General’s Office regarding an illicit image sent over Snapchat on May 2.
Authorities initiated the investigation after receiving a CyberTip report in late May. Search warrants led to a significant police presence at the suspect's residence on Columbia Road, where he lives with his wife and children. While investigators have confirmed that Hulst admitted to the act, they have provided limited details regarding the specific evidence seized during the operation.
Court documents identify the victim as a girl under the age of 10. The charges allege that the suspect possessed and shared explicit photographic material. Each count of second-degree sexual exploitation of a minor carries a potential penalty of 10 years in prison upon conviction.
Following his arrest, a judge granted Hulst a personal recognizance bond, and he is currently out of custody. The South Carolina Attorney General’s Office is managing the prosecution of the case as the investigation continues.