Bennettsville man arrested for soliciting child pornography via Snapchat, Fortnite

MARLBORO COUNTY, S.C. (WMBF) - A Bennettsville man was arrested for his alleged involvement in a child pornography case.

Dustan Kalop Cooper, 32, was arrested on March 8 at his Salem Road home on federal charges of receipt and distribution of child pornography and possession of child pornography since at least October 2022.

Cooper is accused of using Fortnite and Snapchat to persuade or coerce a minor to engage in sexually explicit conduct, according to the criminal complaint filed at the U.S. District Court in Dutchess County, New York.

The complaint was filed by an FBI Special Agent who received information from the Dutchess County Sheriff’s Office, NY, in November 2022.

In early December 2022, Dutchess County Sheriff’s Office confirmed during an interview with the minor that Cooper exchanged pornographic photos with the minor via Fortnite and Snapchat via the username “dustanjacks2021″.

FBI subpoenas revealed the Snapchat and Fortnite accounts were accessed from an IP address located on Salem Road in Bennettsville.

On March 8, Cooper was charged with two counts of transporting or shipping child pornography, one count of receiving child pornography, two counts of possessing child pornography, and two counts of persuading/coercing a minor to engage in sexually explicit conduct knowing such visual depiction would be transported via interstate commerce.

Cooper was released on a $30,000 unsecured bond on March 16.

His arraignment hearing is scheduled for April 6 at the U.S. District Court in Florence.

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