Biblical Foundations Missing from Contemporary Criminal Justice Literature
The existing criminal justice sources on the exploration of prosecution discretion and plea-bargaining activity are essentially missing biblical groundwork on the significance of justice, the safety of children, and the duty of government. The releases of child sex offenders and returned sexual predators has become a thorn in the past eight years due to the plea-bargaining process and leniency of prosecutors led by Attorney General Alan Wilson in South Carolina. The insufficiency of either resources or evidence that characterizes this absence of discretion by the prosecutor is usually characterized by the inadequacy of the situation in the community and the mistrust the people have in the criminal justice system. Literature on the recidivism of sexual offenders shows indirectly that such offenders despite treatment or old age remain a thorn in the flesh by reoffending. Studies also indicate that the criminal justice system is likely to underreport reoffending because of data blind spots and poor follow-up systems. Opponents may believe that plea bargains help clear the court and save resources; but the resultant leniency in high-risk situations is serious consequences on the victims and communities. It is likely that the projected results will demonstrate that greater oversight, sentencing reform and information-based prosecutor accountability will be required to decrease recidivism and reestablish deterrence within the South Carolina justice system.
The study on the failure of the prosecutors in South Carolina during the tenure of Attorney General Alan Wilson portrays immense loopholes in which the biblical worldview ought to shape policy. The failures become particularly evident in Dorchester County, where out of 385 child pornography cases that the South Carolina Attorney General office had to deal with since January 1, 2019, 29 cases resulted in conviction, which makes the conviction rate only 7.5 percent, and 356 warrants were outright dismissed (Pascoe, 2022) CRC Synthesizing the available decades of literature on sex offender recidivism, focus on the existing risk models and treatment effects, but fail to consider the biblical principles of justice, punishment, and vulnerable population safety. In the same vein, criticize available data on recidivism and emphasize the dark figure of unreported crimes. However, their suggestions revolve around managing data and not the ethical grounds of justice.
The existing criminal justice sources on the exploration of prosecution discretion and plea-bargaining activity are essentially missing biblical groundwork on the significance of justice, the safety of children, and the duty of government. The releases of child sex offenders and returned sexual predators has become a thorn in the past eight years due to the plea-bargaining process and leniency of prosecutors led by Attorney General Alan Wilson in South Carolina. The insufficiency of either resources or evidence that characterizes this absence of discretion by the prosecutor is usually characterized by the inadequacy of the situation in the community and the mistrust the people have in the criminal justice system. Literature on the recidivism of sexual offenders shows indirectly that such offenders despite treatment or old age remain a thorn in the flesh by reoffending. Studies also indicate that the criminal justice system is likely to underreport reoffending because of data blind spots and poor follow-up systems. Opponents may believe that plea bargains help clear the court and save resources; but the resultant leniency in high-risk situations is serious consequences on the victims and communities. It is likely that the projected results will demonstrate that greater oversight, sentencing reform and information-based prosecutor accountability will be required to decrease recidivism and reestablish deterrence within the South Carolina justice system.
The study on the failure of the prosecutors in South Carolina during the tenure of Attorney General Alan Wilson portrays immense loopholes in which the biblical worldview ought to shape policy. The failures become particularly evident in Dorchester County, where out of 385 child pornography cases that the South Carolina Attorney General office had to deal with since January 1, 2019, 29 cases resulted in conviction, which makes the conviction rate only 7.5 percent, and 356 warrants were outright dismissed (Pascoe, 2022) CRC Synthesizing the available decades of literature on sex offender recidivism, focus on the existing risk models and treatment effects, but fail to consider the biblical principles of justice, punishment, and vulnerable population safety. In the same vein, criticize available data on recidivism and emphasize the dark figure of unreported crimes. However, their suggestions revolve around managing data and not the ethical grounds of justice.
Biblical Principles Versus Secular Approaches
Scripture provides very explicit requirements in the protection of children and administration of justice that are distinctly different from the present secular practices. In the book of Matthew 18, 6 Jesus said, "Whoever shall make one of these little ones who believe in me to fall into sin, it would be better that a great millstone should be hung around his neck, and he should be drowned in the depth of the sea.". Here, the severity of God in crimes against children is determined, indicating that mild plea bargains and dismissal of charges are ultimately antithetical to biblical justice.
The governmental authority is then defined in Romans 13:3-4: "the government is the servant of God for your good and "is the servant of God, an avenger bringing forth the wrath of God on the wrongdoer." This theological background takes a direct hit on the utilitarian principle, which places excessive emphasis on efficiency in the court rather than justice. In 2022, the South Carolina Human Trafficking Task Force reported that the total cases of trafficking increased by four hundred percent, a huge increment. Still, the reaction of the state has been one of plea bargaining instead of swift justice, decisive, and as the Scripture requires (Staff, 2023). Moreover, in Dorchester County alone, 324 child pornography cases are pending with an average age of 740 days, which represents 9.5 percent of the total General Sessions docket. None of the cases were taken to a jury trial; all the cases were negotiated to a plea (Pascoe, 2022). Analysis of the Shared Hope International shows that in 2011-2019, South Carolina changed its grade from "F" to "D" rather than the significant improvement often cited (South Carolina Report Card, n.d).
The governmental authority is then defined in Romans 13:3-4: "the government is the servant of God for your good and "is the servant of God, an avenger bringing forth the wrath of God on the wrongdoer." This theological background takes a direct hit on the utilitarian principle, which places excessive emphasis on efficiency in the court rather than justice. In 2022, the South Carolina Human Trafficking Task Force reported that the total cases of trafficking increased by four hundred percent, a huge increment. Still, the reaction of the state has been one of plea bargaining instead of swift justice, decisive, and as the Scripture requires (Staff, 2023). Moreover, in Dorchester County alone, 324 child pornography cases are pending with an average age of 740 days, which represents 9.5 percent of the total General Sessions docket. None of the cases were taken to a jury trial; all the cases were negotiated to a plea (Pascoe, 2022). Analysis of the Shared Hope International shows that in 2011-2019, South Carolina changed its grade from "F" to "D" rather than the significant improvement often cited (South Carolina Report Card, n.d).
Personal Experience Informing Biblical Understanding
Being personally a survivor of child trafficking, the irrelevance of secular criminal justice practices to the biblical requirements becomes excruciatingly clear. Secular texts approach victimization as a statistical group. In contrast, the Scripture considers every child as a creation made in the image of God (Genesis 1:27), which has a right to protection and justice. The trauma that the survivors present is not only the psychological destruction, but also the attack against the image of God in every individual. It has been revealed that out of 33 defendants in Dorchester County cases of child pornography, 31 were either completely acquitted or given suspended sentences, with only 2 having any time in prison, proving that the current system is flawed in protecting children, as survivors, such as myself, have gone through (Pascoe, 2022). Choi and Lee (2024) report that online child sexual exploitation has escalated without any significant criminal justice response to it, which they attribute to legal loopholes and a lack of resources.
Integrating Biblical Worldview into the Thesis
The thesis about the failures of South Carolina under the rule of Attorney General Wilson should be anchored on biblical provisions of justice, protection of children, and the duty of the government. In contrast to secular study, where plea bargaining is seen as an evil that is essential to make the court run efficiently, the biblical worldview perceives plea bargaining as a fallacy to administer the justice that God requires of His helpless children. Lovell et al. (2020) identify the way untested sexual assault kits left serial killers on the loose through both the system and breaching the biblical requirement of defending the innocent. Their results indicate that the principle of expediency over justice is perpetual and leads to repetitions of abuse, which is against the biblical command of Proverbs 31:8-9 that requires us to “speak for those who cannot speak for themselves" and to "defend the rights of the poor and needy."
The biblical interpretation demonstrates that the practices of prosecution by South Carolina under the leadership of Wilson are not merely policy failures, but also an act of rejecting the will of God in terms of justice. In the book of Ecclesiastes, chapter eight, verse eleven, it states that where the hand is not swift to execute the sentence of a crime, the hearts of children of man are made one-pointed to do evil. The fact that the state is establishing the conditions Scripture warns against by means of lenient plea deals and dropped charges.
The biblical interpretation demonstrates that the practices of prosecution by South Carolina under the leadership of Wilson are not merely policy failures, but also an act of rejecting the will of God in terms of justice. In the book of Ecclesiastes, chapter eight, verse eleven, it states that where the hand is not swift to execute the sentence of a crime, the hearts of children of man are made one-pointed to do evil. The fact that the state is establishing the conditions Scripture warns against by means of lenient plea deals and dropped charges.
Biblical Solutions for Systemic Reform
The justice of God and not the convenience of man demands structures of accountability in the worldview that are as present in the bible. The Scripture dictates that leaders would not have to use secular methods in which superior data management methods and risk assessment methods are required "judge the people with righteous judgment"(Deuteronomy 16:18). This demands prosecutors who know that they are servants of heavenly justice and not case administrators. The oracle of the prophets, particularly the order in Isaiah 1:17, which tells us “Seek justice, correct oppression, and bring justice to the fatherless,” provides us with a standard of measuring the performance of the prosecutor which extends past the secular standards.
Conclusion
The South Carolina system for handling child sex trafficking cases is fundamentally vulnerable, as demonstrated by the application of a biblical worldview to criminal justice policy. Although secular research is a good source of data on recidivism and prosecutorial practices, it is not morally based on the consideration of true justice. The Scripture requires the people in authority to be the agents of justice of God, especially in the protection of children who bear His image. The 400 percent growth in the number of trafficking cases during the collective rule of Wilson, combined with the 7.5% conviction rate for child pornography cases in Dorchester County, is not just the act of administrative failure, but rather a failure to obey the biblical mandates on the responsibility of the government. The real reform must take into consideration the fact that justice is not just a human agreement, but a divine command that must guide all the policies of criminal justice. It is only under the biblical principles in the prosecutor's practice that South Carolina would be entitled to serve its God-given mandate of protecting the innocent, and to administer justice to the offenders who act against children.Annotated Bibliography
Choi, K. S., & Lee, H. (2024). The trend of online child sexual abuse and exploitation: A profile of online sexual offenders and criminal justice response. Journal of Child Sexual Abuse, 33(6), 804–823. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/370833575
Choi and Lee discuss how the trend of online child sexual exploitation has increased and how criminal justice has been weaker in addressing it. They unveil the fact that numerous criminals use legal loopholes and obsolete laws to obtain plea bargains or evade severe punishment. Their research offers the difference between the sophistication of the criminals and the capability of police. The article is similar to the case of prosecutorial failures in South Carolina during the rule of Wilson, as it emphasizes systemic undercharging and resource-based compromises. This source demonstrates that the necessity to invest in digital forensics and policy reform can help avoid cases and minimize relapses and improve the quality of prosecuting cases.
Lave, T. R., Prescott, J. J., & Bridges, G. (2021). The problem with assumptions: Revisiting “The dark figure of sexual recidivism.” Behavioral Sciences & the Law, 39(3), 279– 306.https://repository.law.umich.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1324&context=law _econ_current
Existing sex offender recidivism statistics are criticized by Lave and others who claim that the dark figure of unreported crimes covers the actual reoffending. This study is indicative of the flaws in the organization of sexual offense monitoring and reporting and prosecution. It also disregards the belief that plea deals are an indicator of efficiency and shows the manner in which the middle ground and protect the dangers and deterrence in the future. Their discussion is quite consistent with the case of South Carolina, in which the recidivism statistics are skewed by the fact that dropped charges and negotiated pleas are being made. The source is critical in contextualizing the problem of prosecutor discretion and mismanagement of data because it is still perpetuating the cycle of sexual violence.
Lovell, R., Huang, W., Overman, L., Flannery, D., & Klingenstein, J. (2020). Offending histories and typologies of suspected sexual offenders identified via untested sexual assault kits. Criminal Justice and Behavior, 47(4), 470– 486.https://www.researchgate.net/publication/360873352
Lovell and co-authors analyze offender typologies identified through untested sexual assault kits, revealing extensive histories of serial offending among individuals who had previously been released or never prosecuted. Their results indicate that procedural mistakes and lack of evidence allow serial offenders to stay on the loose. The findings in this research of the use of the backlog to cause case attrition are similar to the plea-deal issue in South Carolina. It reveals how the failure to embrace evidence and use expediency instead of justice in cases of abuse continues abusive cycles. The argument that the structural reform and accountability is needed to safeguard victims and rebuild prosecutorial integrity is supported by Lovell in his work.
Lussier, P., Chouinard Thivierge, S., Fréchette, J., & Proulx, J. (2024). Sex offender recidivism: Some lessons learned from over 70 years of research. Criminal Justice Review, 49(4), 413–452. https://www.crimrxiv.com/pub/s258icnz/download/pdf
The article is a synthesis of seventy years of research concerning sex offender recidivism, focusing on continuation, treatment follow-through and risk assessment issues. Lussier et al. claim that despite the fact that there are offenders whose recidivism rates decrease as they age, sexual offending remains a behavior whose patterns are rooted and triggered by situations. As indicated in the study, the risks are increased by system failures like plea bargaining and inadequate long-term supervision. The authors emphasize that it is necessary to incorporate empirical risk models into the decisions of prosecutors. This piece of work assists in setting the empirical basis of comprehending the actual risks of untimely release and light plea bargains in the treatment of child sex offenders in South Carolina.
Quas, J. A., Luna, S., Wilson, D. B., & Redlich, A. (2025). Human trafficking and the passage of the 2000 TVPA: A comparative analysis of prosecution of sex trafficking, child pornography, and sexual abuse cases. Journal of Human Trafficking, 1– 21.https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/23322705.2024.2331943
Quas et al. compare the federal and state prosecutions of sexual abuse, child pornography, and victims of trafficking in the aftermath of the Trafficking Victims Protection Act (TVPA). They discover that federal systems have become more accountable and conviction rates higher, but most states, and the southern jurisdictions, suffer because prosecutors have limited priorities and preference on plea bargains. According to their findings, administrative leadership is very instrumental in the achievement of justice. This is directly related to the leadership of Attorney General Wilson, and this compares the policies that indicate how the inefficiencies of prosecutors at the state level compromise the bigger national prosecution efforts.
Smethurst, A. J., Bamford, J., & Tully, R. J. (2021). A systematic review of recidivism rates of older adult male sex offenders. Applied Psychology in Criminal Justice, 16(1).https://dev.cjcenter.org/_files/apcj/16-1-2Smethurst.pdf_1615503001.pdf
This review is systematic in exploring the long-term recidivism of older male sex offenders and breaks the myth that sexual threat decreases with age. The authors discover that it is possible that even though the general re-offense rates can decrease with an age, older offenders continue to be dangerous, especially when it comes to grooming or nonviolent abuse. In their practice, a judicial disposition to discretion in older defendants is observable, resulting in sentencing breaks or lenient overall punishment. This study validates the criticism that prosecutorial activities in South Carolina can improperly reduce risk, based on the characteristics of offenders, instead of assessing it through evidence, thereby leading to the persistence of crimes.
References
Choi, K. S., & Lee, H. (2024). The trend of online child sexual abuse and exploitation: A profile of online sexual offenders and criminal justice response. Journal of Child Sexual Abuse, 33(6), 804–823.
Lave, T. R., Prescott, J. J., & Bridges, G. (2021). The problem with assumptions: Revisiting "The dark figure of sexual recidivism." Behavioral Sciences & the Law, 39(3), 279–306.
Lovell, R., Huang, W., Overman, L., Flannery, D., & Klingenstein, J. (2020). Offending histories and typologies of suspected sexual offenders identified via untested sexual assault kits. Criminal Justice and Behavior, 47(4), 470–486.
Lussier, P., Chouinard Thivierge, S., Fréchette, J., & Proulx, J. (2024). Sex offender recidivism: Some lessons learned from over 70 years of research. Criminal Justice Review, 49(4), 413–452.
Pascoe, D. M. (2022, April 5). 2022/2023 Budget Request: Additional funding for prosecution of sexual exploitation of minor cases. First Circuit Solicitor's Office.
South Carolina Report Card – Report cards on child & youth sex trafficking. (n.d.). https://reportcards.sharedhope.org/year2021/southcarolina/
Staff. (2023, January 9). S.C. human trafficking shows 400% increase in 2022, report says. WRDW. https://www.wrdw.com/2023/01/09/sc-human-trafficking-shows-400-increase-2022/
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. (2001). Crossway Bibles. (Original work published 1611)
Quas, J. A., Luna, S., Wilson, D. B., & Redlich, A. (2025). Human trafficking and the passage of the 2000 TVPA: A comparative analysis of prosecution of sex trafficking, child pornography, and sexual abuse cases. Journal of Human Trafficking, 1– 21.https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/23322705.2024.2331943
Smethurst, A. J., Bamford, J., & Tully, R. J. (2021). A systematic review of recidivism rates of older adult male sex offenders. Applied Psychology in Criminal Justice, 16(1).https://dev.cjcenter.org/_files/apcj/16-1-2Smethurst.pdf_1615503001.pdf
