Former SC prison officer arrested after having sex with inmate, officials say
A Richland County woman was recently fired by the South Carolina Department of Corrections, and the former correctional officer was arrested on multiple charges after having sex with an inmate, officials said.
Shanelle Betterson Eichelberger was charged with first-degree sexual misconduct with an inmate and misconduct in office, S.C. Department of Corrections spokeswoman Chrysti Shain said in a news release.
Richland County court records show the 35-year-old Columbia resident was arrested on Jan. 6, but the arrest warrants weren’t released by the South Carolina Department of Corrections inspector general until Jan. 12, according to Shain.
Eichelberger was a correctional officer at Manning Reentry/Work Release Center, according to the release. The prison is a male-only, minimum security facility that currently houses 516 inmates, according to the S.C. Department of Corrections. It’s near Exit 71 on Interstate 20, which is the junction with U.S. 21/Wilson Boulevard.
On Dec. 21, 2022, Eichelberger had “sexual intercourse” with an inmate whose name was not made public, according to an arrest warrant.
A video of the sexual encounter was recorded on a cellphone, an arrest warrant said. Both Eichelberger and the male inmate admitted they were the people recorded in the video having sex, according to arrest warrants.
Court records show a $10,000 personal recognizance bond was issued on Jan. 9, and Eichelberger is not currently listed on the Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center inmate roster.
Eichelberger is scheduled to appear in court again on Feb. 24, according to court records.
If convicted on the felony first-degree sexual misconduct with an inmate charge, Eichelberger faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison, according to South Carolina law. A conviction on the misdemeanor misconduct in office charge carries a maximum punishment of a year behind bars, a $1,000 fine, and anyone convicted on the charge must forfeit the office, according to state law.
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This story was originally published January 17, 2023 at 10:44 AM.
CORRECTION: The original version of this story misidentified the agency that released the warrant charging a prison guard with having sex with an inmate. The agency was the state Department of Corrections inspector general.
