Soldier faces more than 40 child sex crime charges in two states

WALTON COUNTY, Fla. (WRDW/Gray News) - A soldier who was arrested in South Carolina is now facing additional child sex crime charges in Florida.

Sean Benjamin Cushman, 30, is facing more than 40 felony charges, including 17 counts of possession of child pornography, 17 counts of manufacturing child pornography and sexual battery on a child 12 to 18 years old.

Cushman was arrested on July 15 in South Carolina on charges of sexual exploitation of a minor following a CyberTipline report from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.

On Aug. 25, the Walton County Sheriff’s Office was contacted by Aiken County authorities regarding the case.

Walton County authorities said images and videos of child pornography were found on Cushman’s phone.

Walton County Sheriff’s Office investigators confirmed that more than 15 videos and photos of a victim were recorded in Santa Rosa Beach, Florida.

A South Carolina judge granted Cushman a bond under the condition that he would be extradited to Florida to face the new charges.

Cushman is now in custody in Walton County, Florida, without bond.

When Cushman was first arrested on July 15, he was an active-duty soldier assigned to the 11th Cyber Battalion, U.S. Army Cyber Command, a spokesperson for the 780th Military Intelligence Brigade said.