South Carolina Attorney General Henry McMaster announced Thursday that James Allen Proveaux Sr., 56, of Gaffney, was arrested Wednesday in an undercover Internet sting conducted by the City of Greenville Police Department.

Proveaux was arrested on two counts of criminal solicitation of a minor, a felony offense punishable by up to 10 years imprisonment.

Arrest warrants allege that beginning June 23, 2008, Proveaux solicited sex in online "chats" with a person he believed to be a 13-year-old girl. In reality, he was communicating with undercover Greenville police officers.

The City of Greenville Police Department is a member of the Attorney General's Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force.

The State Law Enforcement Division (SLED), also a member of the Task Force, assisted in the arrest and execution of the search warrant at Proveaux's residence. The search resulted in the seizure of two computers and other computer-related items.

Proveaux was assigned a $40,000 bond.

This is the 132nd arrest for the Task Force.

The case will be prosecuted by the Attorney General's Office.

McMaster stressed that all defendants are presumed innocent unless and until they are proven guilty in a court of law.