Former Lexington Pastor Indicted for Producing and Distributing Child Sexual Abuse Material

COLUMBIA, S.C. - A federal grand jury in Columbia returned a nine-count indictment, presented by the U.S. Attorney's Office, charging Richard Channing Shealy, 54, of Lexington, for producing, distributing and possessing child sexual abuse material.*

The indictment alleges that in February 2026, Shealy shared CSAM files with an undercover Homeland Security Investigations agent using a peer-to-peer file sharing network. After obtaining a search warrant, law enforcement searched Shealy's home and uncovered more CSAM files on Shealy's computer. Among the files discovered were pictures of a child that Shealy abused in 2004 and 2006.

Shealy faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in federal prison on four counts of producing child sexual abuse material and up to 20 years in federal prison on the distribution and possession charges. Shealy also faces fines of up to $250,000 on each count.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and CEOS, 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 to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit Justice.gov/PSC.

The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the South Carolina Attorney General's Office and the Lexington County Sheriff's Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Scott Matthews is prosecuting the case.

All charges in the indictment are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

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* The term "child pornography" is currently used in federal statutes and is defined as any visual depiction of sexually explicit conduct involving a person less than 18 years old. While this phrase still appears in federal law, "child sexual abuse material" is preferred, as it better reflects the abuse that is depicted in the images and videos and the resulting trauma to the child.