Simpsonville Man Indicted on Child Porn Charges

A federal grand jury has returned indictments against a Simpsonville man on child pornography charges, said United States Attorney Bill Nettles.

Lorenzo W. Briones, 37, of Simpsonville, was charged earlier this week in a two-count indictment with possessing and distributing child pornography

The maximum penalty Briones could receive is 10 years imprisonment for possession and 20 years imprisonment for distribution. 

In addition to Briones, two other Upstate men were also indicted this week for child porn. Wallace M. Bryant, Jr., age 26, of Easley, was charged in a three-count indictment with possessing and distributing child pornography. Seneca resident Hollis F. Gray Jr., 41, was also indicted on a child pornography charge that could net him 10 years behind bars.

The cases were investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) special agents and is assigned to Assistant United States Attorney William J. Watkins, Jr., of the Greenville office for prosecution.  

The cases are being brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney's Offices, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as identify and rescue victims.  

For more information, visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.