On May 27, 2025, Ryan Blake Hydrick, 27, of Lexington, was arrested on two charges connected to the sexual exploitation of a minor. 

He was charged with one count of second-degree sexual exploitation of a minor, a felony offense punishable by up to 10 years imprisonment, and one count of third-degree sexual exploitation of a minor, a felony offense punishable by up to 10 years imprisonment. 

The press release stated investigators received a CyberTipline report from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), which led them to Hydrick. 

Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force investigators with the Lexington County Sheriff’s Department arrested Hydrick and stated that he distributed and possessed files of child sexual abuse material.

Investigators with the Attorney General’s Office assisted with this investigation.

The case will be prosecuted by the Attorney General’s Office, and Attorney General Wilson said all defendants are innocent unless and until they are proven guilty.