CHESNEE, SC – An Upstate man is behind bars on multiple charges including sexual exploitation of a minor and impersonating an officer.
Anthony Jkwan Briggs, 22 of Chesnee, was arrested on Friday and charged with the following crimes:
- Sexual exploitation of a minor - 1st degree
- Sexual exploitation of a minor - 2nd degree
- Impersonating a police officer
- Criminal sexual conduct with a minor - 3rd degree
- Distributing obscene material to a minor under the age of 18
- Distributing obscene material to a minor under the age of 12
- Distributing obscene material to a minor under the age of 18
In a hearing Saturday morning in Spartanburg County, prosecutors said Briggs’ crimes involved three young boys, ages 12, 14 and 14. Prosecutors said Briggs met two of the young boys at an after-school program.
Prosecutors said in the hearing that Briggs admitted to sending pictures and video of his genitals to the 12-year-old victim and requested the child send photos back to him. He did the same to one of the 14-year-old victims, the prosecutor said.
Briggs was charged with criminal sexual conduct after investigators said an incident occurred at his grandmother’s house. Prosecutors said one of the boys told investigators that he was sleeping at Briggs' grandmother’s house when he woke up to Briggs touching his genitals. Prosecutors said in court that at another time, Briggs' placed the boy’s hand on his genitals.
Briggs is also charged with impersonating an officer. Prosecutors said he posed as an officer after one of the boys stopped communicating with him. Prosecutors said Briggs stopped the young man with a gun, badge and police letterhead and told him he was on probation.
"All these young men and their families believed that Mr. Briggs was a police officer and he put the young man on probation and told him he had to check in with him every day while he was on probation.”