South Carolina Influencer Arrested on Six Child-Sex Charges

South Carolina social media influencer Carson Dean Barry, 23, was arrested Sept. 10 in Mount Pleasant and charged with five counts of third-degree sexual exploitation of a minor and one count of criminal solicitation of a minor. Authorities said a CyberTipline report from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children led to the investigation, which alleges Barry solicited a minor for sex and possessed child sexual abuse material. Investigators seized a computer tower and two iPhones from his home and reported finding an abuse video on one device. Multiple agencies, including the South Carolina Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, Mount Pleasant police, Homeland Security Investigations and the Charleston County Sheriff’s Office, assisted with the case. Barry’s bond was set at $1 million, and he was released Sept. 13; he is scheduled to appear in court Oct. 30. Each charge carries a potential sentence of up to 10 years if he is convicted, and Barry has more than 420,000 TikTok followers and nearly 150,000 Instagram followers.