A registered sex offender living in South Carolina has been sentenced to
nine years in prison after pleading guilty to five counts of sexual
exploitation of minors, PEOPLE confirmed.

A statement from South Carolina's Attorney General confirms that on
Monday, Robert Earl Turner, 61, pleaded guilty to one count of second-
degree sexual exploitation of a minor and four counts of third-degree
sexual exploitation of a minor.

Police started looking into Turner on April 5, 2018, after "investigators
with the Anderson County Sheriff's Office began investigating a report
that a user had uploaded four files of Child Sexual Abuse Material using
an internet program."

Detectives traced the account "back to Turner's residence in Anderson
County," according to the statement.

When officers went to talk to him, "Turner admitted to investigators they
would find illegal files on his devices," the statement adds.

Turner was already a registered sex offender in the state following a 1999
conviction for lewd act involving a child under the age of 14.

"A forensic examination of seized devices revealed over 3,500 files of
Child Sexual Abuse Material," officials said in the statement.

While he was out on bond, another report came in about Turner, according
to police.

On April 23, 2020, reports of another user uploading illicit images were
received by investigators.

"The investigation revealed the phone number associated with the user
belonged to an account holder who lived in Anderson County," officials
said. "Turner was found living in a camper behind the home. A forensic
examination of additional seized devices found over 19,600 files" of Child
Sexual Abuse Material.

Turner was sentenced to concurrent terms of nine years in prison, with
credit for 707 days served.

He has been forced to turn over all of his electronic devices.

https://people.com/crime/registered-sex-offender-living-in-s-c-found-with-
more-than-20k-files-of-child-sexual-abuse-material/