Sheldon Blake Chavis

Provided

Steven Michael Blendowski

Provided

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The state Attorney General’s Office announced the arrest of two Lexington men on seven total charges related to attempted sexual exploitation of a minor.

Sheldon Blake Chavis, 24, and Steven Michael Blendowski, 36, were both arrested Jan. 20 by investigators with the office’s Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, according to a release.

“Investigators state Blendowski solicited a person he believed to be a minor for sex and encouraged them to produce child sexual abuse material,” the release details. “Investigators state Chavis solicited a person he believed to be a minor for sex, encouraged them to produce child sexual abuse material, and sent sexually explicit images to a person he believed to be a minor.”

Chavis is charged with criminal solicitation of a minor (a felony offense punishable by up to 10 years imprisonment), first degree attempted sexual exploitation of a minor (a felony offense punishable by up to 20 years imprisonment), and three counts of attempted dissemination of obscene material to a person under age 18 (a felony offense punishable by up to 10 years imprisonment on each count).

Blendowski is charged with criminal solicitation of a minor and first degree attempted sexual exploitation of a minor.

The cases will be prosecuted by the Attorney General’s Office.

“Child sexual abuse material, or CSAM, is a more accurate reflection of the material involved in these heinous and abusive crimes,” the release states "’Pornography’ can imply the child was a consenting participant.  Globally, the term child pornography is being replaced by CSAM for this reason.”

Blendowski, who had bonds set totaling $50,000, was released from the Lexington County Detention Center. Chavis remains in the detention center, according to the jail’s website, with bonds set totaling $40,000.