Charleston man charged with distributing child porn

A Charleston man who plays the organ for a local church is in jail today on charges that he distributed child pornography on his computer.

Charleston Police charged James Madison Prevatt, II, 33, with sexual exploitation of a minor in the second degree and lewd act on a minor.

Authorities charged Prevatt this week after they say they he used his computer to send his brother in Virginia a photograph that depicts a 19-month-old boy being molested, Charleston Police Inv. Douglas Gallucio said.

Gallucio said the case took a bizarre turn when Prevatt's brother, 25-year-old Michael Prevatt of York County, Va., sent the same photo to a woman in Calgary, Ontario. The woman, upset over the photo, told her therapist, who alerted the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.

Canadian authorities alerted the officials from the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, who then contacted authorities in York County.

Gallucio said he received a call from York County investigators about 6:30 p.m. on June 11th. By 11 p.m. Charleston Police, with a search warrant in hand, were inside James Prevatt's Peeks Pike home. Authorities seized four computers, two hard hard drives and other computer-related items, he said.

Forensic evidence shows that James Prevatt's hand is in the photograph, Gallucio said.

In an appearance before Magistrate Linda Lombard this afternoon, James Prevatt's bail was set at $50,000 on each charge.

Prevatt, the organist for the Northbridge Baptist Church in West Ashley, faces a maximum sentence of 25 years in prison if convicted of the charges.

He does not have a criminal history in South Carolina, according to a State Law Enforcement Division criminal records check.

Attorney General Henry McMaster's office will prosecute the case.

Michael Prevatt is charged in York County on four child pornography-related charges. He could face federal charges as well because the picture was sent across the border, Gallucio said.

Reach Andy Paras at 937-5589, aparas@postandcourier.com or on twitter at twitter.com/andyparas.