Newberry woman said her probation officer sexually assaulted her. She’s now suing
A South Carolina woman is suing a state agency, its director and a former special agent after she said she was sexually assaulted by the agent while on probation.
In the lawsuit filed on April 3, Kelly Wight alleges the Department of Probation, Parole and Pardon Services, its director, Jake Gadsen, Jr. and former special agent DeMichaelas Shaquell Daniels, 32, are responsible for gross negligence and recklessness, violation of due process under the 14th Amendment, false imprisonment, intentional infliction of emotional distress, and assault and battery, after she was sexually assaulted by Daniels on multiple occasions.
Wight, who was placed on probation for two years in October 2023, was assigned to Daniels during her supervised release from jail, according to the lawsuit.
During several mandatory home and office visits, Daniels made numerous sexually explicit advances toward Wight, including exposing his genitals and touching parts of her body while his body worn camera was turned off, the lawsuit said.
Daniels was charged on March 27 with three counts of first degree sexual misconduct with an inmate, patient or offender, and two counts of misconduct in office, according to a news release.
Multiple arrest warrants allege that between October 2023 and December 2024, while employed as a S.C. probation, parole and pardon services special agent, Daniels abused his authority by soliciting and coercing sexual contact with several other female victims on probation and for whom he had supervisory responsibility.
Daniels was booked in the Newberry County Detention Center before posting bond on March, 25, according to court records.
