Matt Vereen, a sports reporter at WACH Fox 57, was arrested last week on serious child exploitation charges. The 28-year-old journalist faces allegations related to possessing and soliciting sexually explicit material involving minors.
Authorities discovered disturbing images on Vereen’s laptop, including an image of an underage girl estimated to be between 11 and 13 years old. Additionally, he is accused of attempting to acquire sexually explicit videos featuring girls around the age of 13. These charges were detailed in arrest warrants obtained by WIS.
Following his arrest, Vereen was suspended from his role at the Columbia-based news station. WACH Fox 57 released a statement addressing the situation: “WACH FOX News understands the severity of these allegations and Vereen has been placed on suspension pending an investigation. As this is a personnel matter, the station will not be commenting further at this time.”
Vereen has been charged with two counts of second-degree sexual exploitation of a minor and one count of third-degree sexual exploitation of a minor, all felonies. If convicted, he faces a potential prison sentence of up to 30 years.
At the time of his arrest, Vereen had been covering the University of South Carolina’s football season. He is a Carolina native and a graduate of the University of Missouri, as noted on his social media profiles.
After posting a $40,000 surety bond, Vereen was released from jail the day after his arrest, as reported by the Post and Courier.