PICKENS — A former Pickens Police Officer has been arrested for sex crimes against a minor after he filed a lawsuit claiming discrimination and wrongful termination.
Akiel Jamar McKnight, 28, was arrested in Horry County on Thursday and is charged with three counts of contributing to the delinquency of a minor, criminal solicitation of a minor, two counts of second-degree sexual exploitation of a minor and misconduct in office.
He is currently being held without bond in the Pickens County Detention Center.
South Carolina Law Enforcement Division investigated the case, authorities said.
According to warrants, McKnight asked a minor to send him sexually explicit photographs and/or videos showing the minor victim engaged in sexual activity. The alleged communication took place between Dec. 1, 2017 and Nov. 1, 2018, according to warrants — while McKnight was an officer with the Pickens Police Department (PPD).
However, in the lawsuit filed by McKnight back in Nov. 2018, (well before his Jan. 3 arrest) it states that “while the plaintiff worked as an officer, he was romantically pursued by another male over the age of consent. The pursuer sent a nude photograph to the plaintiff, which the plaintiff did not solicit. The two communicated but did not interact physically.”
Along with The PPD and the City of Pickens, PPD Chief Travis Riggs and City Administrator Dennis Harmon are named as defendants in the case which will be held in federal court.
According to court filings, during April of 2018, Lieutenant S. Byers called McKnight and indicated that he should meet with Chief Travis Riggs in Riggs’ office. During that meeting, Riggs suspended the plaintiff for two weeks without pay for conduct unbecoming of a police officer.
“Upon information and belief, the plaintiff did not violate any rules or laws, and the defendants’ actions can be interpreted in no other way than discriminatory,” the summons reads. “The plaintiff made an employment grievance with the City Administrator, Dennis Harmon, and scheduled a meeting with Harmon and Riggs.”
During that meeting, McKnight alleges Riggs “changed his position” and stated McKnight’s actions constituted not conduct unbecoming of a police officer — but rather contributing to the delinquency of a minor.
“The plaintiff informed Riggs that, pursuant to South Carolina law, he had never committed the crime of contributing to the delinquency of a minor,” court papers read. “Harmon told the plaintiff and Riggs that he wanted to review the elements of that criminal offense before he made a decision regarding the plaintiff’s suspension.”
Later, in May 2018, McKnight again met with Riggs. During that meeting, court papers state Riggs “again changed his position,” this time telling McKnight that Harmon believed he had violated General Order 1.1 of the Pickens Police Department.
McKnight was suspended again, at which point he filed a grievance with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC).
McKnight was then fired.
In September, the EEOC issued a “Notice of right to sue” letter to McKnight which he filed under Title VII within 90 days of its receipt.
In the suit, McKnight’s attorney states the actions taken by the defendants are in violation of Title VII, has caused McKnight to “lose his good name, employment opportunities, and the opportunity to advance and to continue to work at the Pickens Police Department.”
Additionally, the filing states the actions have caused McKnight to suffer mental and emotional distress and the defendants “have engaged in discriminatory practices with malice and reckless indifference to the (McKnight’s) federally-protected rights.”
Following his arrest by SLED, McKnight was then fired from his current position with the Atlantic Beach Police Department.
“After receiving and reviewing a thorough report from SLED, the Town of Atlantic Beach is justified in terminating Akiel Mcknight from his probationary period with our Police Department,” said the Town of Atlantic Beach in a release. “McKnight’s termination is effective immediately this third day of January, 2019 at approximately 2 p.m.”
