Prison chaplain could end up behind bars after sex act with inmate, SC officials say
A prison chaplain is accused of engaging in a sex act with an inmate, South Carolina officials say.
Jefferson Kwamina-Crystal, 65, was working at Leath Correctional Institution when he received oral sex from an inmate in his office, the S.C. Department of Corrections said in an arrest warrant signed Tuesday.
Officials say the “sexual relationship” happened inside the medium-security women’s prison in Greenwood between Aug. 1 and Dec. 31. The facility is roughly 55 miles south of Greenville.
Sex acts between corrections workers and inmates are against state law. That’s due to the “authority the employees have over the prisoners,” the Associated Press reports.
Kwamina-Crystal, who lives in Spartanburg, was arrested and fired from his job as chaplain, according to a news release from prison officials.
He was charged Tuesday with first-degree sexual misconduct with an inmate, a felony, the release said. If convicted, he could face up to 10 years behind bars, state records show.
The Greenwood County jail on Wednesday morning didn’t immediately respond to a request for information about Kwamina-Crystal’s custody status.
This story was originally published February 12, 2020 at 9:54 AM with the headline "Prison chaplain could end up behind bars after sex act with inmate, SC officials say."
