Attorney who hid camera in Folly Beach condo sued by alleged victim
FOLLY BEACH, S.C. (WCBD) – An Aiken County man accused of hiding cameras in a Folly Beach condo he owned is being sued by an alleged victim, according to court documents filed Tuesday.
54-year-old William Daniel Mayes was arrested on Dec. 6 by Charleston County deputies and charged with 14 counts of voyeurism and one count of sexual exploitation of a minor. He was released on a $260,000 bond on Dec. 19, jail records state.
Dropbox employees tipped off Aiken County deputies after they found potential child sexual abuse material in Mayes’ account. The Aiken County Sheriff’s Office obtained a warrant to search Mayes’ home.
When they did, they found several videos in a folder labeled “Folly HC” of adults and minors undressing, taken on what appeared to be a hidden camera.
“Folly HC” contained several separate folders labeled with initials, and two of those contained videos of the victim when she stayed at the property on July 9, 2021, the filing states. One of the videos was a compilation of the victim undressed set to music and had Mayes engaging in sexual activity edited in, records allege.
The victim learned about the recordings after hearing about the criminal investigation into Mayes.
He was arrested on Oct. 29, 2024, in Aiken County with the help of Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force investigators and charged with five counts of sexual exploitation of a minor and two counts of voyeurism.
Law enforcement notified the Charleston County Sheriff’s Office of the situation, and Mayes was transported to Charleston County for arrest.
A court order says the state Supreme Court suspended Mayes’ law license until further notice on Nov. 1, 2024.
Mayes’ wife, Shannon Mayes, is also named in the suit. Filings on behalf of the victim claim Shannon acted as a property manager for the condo and failed to protect guests in her role.
As a result of the Mayes’ actions, the victim has suffered severe emotional distress and humiliation and remains concerned the videos taken were shared with third parties, the suit said.
