A Westminster man has been arrested on a charge of unlawfully sharing an intimate image.
According to the Oconee County Sheriff’s Office, 36-year-old Christopher Kevin Jones was taken into custody Wednesday afternoon and booked into the Oconee County Detention Center.
He’s charged with Unauthorized Disclosure of an Intimate Image with Intent to Cause Harm. Investigators say the case began in December after a provocative photo of an adult woman was posted on social media. Authorities obtained a search warrant and later an arrest warrant based on evidence collected.
Jones was released Thursday on a $5,000 personal recognizance bond. If convicted, he could face up to five years in prison and a fine of up to $5,000 under South Carolina’s new law banning the non-consensual sharing of intimate images, which was passed last year. Official press release below:
(Walhalla, SC) - A Westminster man was arrested by the Oconee County Sheriff’s Office Wednesday afternoon on a charge of Unauthorized Disclosure of Intimate Image with the Intent to Cause Harm. 36 year old Christopher Kevin Jones, of Sigmon Drive, was booked into the Oconee County Detention Center on February 18th at around 2:04pm. Jones was released from jail yesterday afternoon on a $5,000.00 personal recognizance bond. Jones was charged by an Investigator from the Criminal Investigations Bureau under the new Disseminating Intimate Images without Consent law that was passed by the South Carolina Legislature last year and signed into law by Governor Henry McMaster.
The Sheriff’s Office investigation began on December 19th, 2025 after a provocative picture of the victim, an adult female, had been posted on social media. The investigation was turned over to the Criminal Investigations Bureau. The Investigator obtained a search warrant, signed by a Judge, as part of the process of gathering evidence in the investigation. Based upon evidence collected during the investigation, an arrest warrant was obtained against Jones by the Investigator.
According to the arrest warrant, Jones unlawfully and intentionally disseminated an intimate image of the victim with the intent to cause mental and reputational harm. Under the provisions of the new law, and if convicted on a first offense of the charge, a defendant must be fined not more than $5,000.00 or imprisoned not more than five year, or both. The Oconee County Sheriff’s Office is continuing its investigations.