Oconee County is a county in the westernmost part of South Carolina that has a population of approximately 80,000 residents. Its county seat is Walhalla and its largest city is Seneca. Instances of prostitution and sex trafficking have been documented in the county. For example, in May 2012, a 62-year-old Seneca resident and “former Guardian Ad Litem volunteer” was arrested following an undercover investigation by the Oconee County Sheriff’s Office. The man was charged with soliciting prostitution “following a month-long investigation, [during which he] allegedly paid informants to perform sexual acts.” His identity was similarly publicized in press. Although the logistical details of the operation were not reported, OCSO deputies stated that the sting was launched after law enforcement received a complaint.

Identity disclosure and loss of employment are also consequences of sex buying in the county. For example, in 2021 a School Resource Officer at Fair Oak Elementary School and a deputy with the Oconee County Sheriff’s Office was fired from both positions after being named as a suspect in a sex trafficking investigation. The offender was later charged with conspiracy to commit sex trafficking, sexual exploitation of children, and the production of child sexual abuse materials (CSAM). Four additional people were charged in the conspiracy.