JACKSONVILLE, Florida — A South Carolina man and a North Carolina woman have been indicted on federal charges related to child sexual exploitation, according to U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe.
Christopher Michael Lawhon, a 36-year-old from South Carolina, has been charged with production and attempted production of child sex abuse material (CSAM). In a separate indictment, 25-year-old Tajareia Lawon Aikee Blackwell, of North Carolina, was charged with transportation of CSAM. If convicted, Lawhon faces a minimum penalty of 15 years and up to 30 years in federal prison, while Blackwell faces a minimum penalty of 5 years and up to 20 years, stated the press release.
The charges stem from incidents involving both individuals as passengers on cruises through international waters that returned to the United States via the Jacksonville cruise port. Lawhon returned from his cruise on May 7, 2026, with a cellphone containing multiple surreptitiously-recorded video files, including one of a minor male child in a bathroom stall. Lawhon admitted to federal agents with Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) that he had an interest in voyeurism, according to the press release…