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by ERIN PARROTT
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A West Columbia, South Carolina man will spend more than two decades behind bars after federal prosecutors say he attempted to sexually exploit a child – and produced child sexual abuse material – during an undercover investigation.
According to a release from the office of U.S. attorney Bryan Stirling, 63-year-old Robert K. Bonesteel was sentenced to 260 months in federal prison after pleading guilty to producing child sexual abuse material following a November 2023 undercover online operation in which law enforcement targeted individuals attempting to sexually exploit minors.
During the operation, investigators posed as a 14-year-old boy on a social media application. Authorities say Bonesteel initiated sexually explicit conversations with the account, discussing plans to “ravage” the minor and engage in oral sex.
Investigators said Bonesteel later agreed to meet the child at what he believed was the minor’s home in Lexington, S.C., under the impression the boy was home alone. When Bonesteel arrived at the location with condoms, he was immediately taken into custody by law enforcement.
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Following his arrest, investigators searched Bonesteel’s phone and uncovered evidence that he had produced and distributed child sexual abuse material, according to federal authorities.
Additional messages obtained during the investigation revealed Bonesteel had also coached other individuals online on how to groom and sexually exploit minors, according to a release from the USDOJ.
The sentence against Bonesteel was handed down by U.S. district court judge Mary Geiger Lewis, who also ordered Bonesteel to serve a term of supervised release following his incarceration. There is no parole in the federal system.
In addition to the sentence, the court ordered Bonesteel to pay restitution to the minor victim. The case was prosecuted by assistant U.S. attorney Elle E. Klein.
The investigation was conducted by the FBI Columbia field office, the U.S. Secret Service, the Lexington County Sheriff’s Department (LCSD) and the Lexington Police Department (LCPD).
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The case was prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a nationwide initiative launched by the U.S. Department of Justice (USDOJ) in 2006 to combat the online sexual exploitation of children. The program coordinates federal, state and local resources to identify offenders, prosecute crimes involving child exploitation and rescue victims.
Federal authorities have increasingly relied on undercover online operations to identify individuals seeking to exploit minors, often posing as children in digital chat environments to intercept predators before an in-person encounter occurs.
As part of his sentence, Bonesteel will remain under court-ordered supervision following his release, and federal officials say the case highlights ongoing efforts to combat the online sexual exploitation of children.
FITSNews has closely followed cases involving the online exploitation of minors across South Carolina – and will continue our efforts to hold both predators and the systems tasked with catching, convicting and imprisoning them accountable as we cover child exploitation and internet-based crimes targeting minors.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR…
Erin Parrott is a Greenville, S.C. native who graduated from the University of South Carolina in 2025 with a bachelor degree in broadcast journalism. Got feedback or a tip for Erin? Email her here.
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