Sep. 18—A North Augusta man will spend 90 days in prison with three years probation after taking a plea deal in two separate sexual exploitation of a minor cases.

Matthew Jonathon Tant, 22, pleaded guilty Sept. 14 to one count of third-degree sexual exploitation of a minor, according to Robert Kittle, communications director with South Carolina Attorney General's Office.

"He was charged in Aiken, but because of the nature of his charges, he was prosecuted by the attorney general's office," said Ashley Hammack, who serves as deputy solicitor of the Second Judicial Circuit Solicitor's Office.

Kittle said Tant was sentenced to three years in prison suspended to 90 days in jail and followed by three years of probation. According to online court records, he has credit for 60 days served while awaiting trial.

Tant's plea comes after two separate investigations by the South Carolina Attorney General's Office.

He was arrested on March 26, 2019, and charged with 20 counts of third-degree sexual exploitation of a minor.

While out on bond Tant was arrested March 13, 2020 and charged with one count of second-degree sexual exploitation of a minor and 11 counts of third-degree sexual exploitation of a minor.

During the 2020 arrest, another suspect, 26-year-old Demetrius David John of Anderson, was arrested along with Tant and charged with 10 counts of third-degree sexual exploitation of a minor. John pleaded guilty last year in the case and has finished his prison term.

Upon Tant's release, he will have to register as a sex offender.

After his plea, Tant was taken into the custody of the South Carolina Department of Corrections.