CONWAY, SC (WBTW) – Four former Horry County police officers were indicted by the South Carolina Attorney General’s Office Thursday.
According to a press release, a Horry County Grand Jury has returned indictments against Luke Green, Troy Allen Large, Todd Cox and Darryl Williams. All four gentlemen are former officers with the Horry County Police Department.
The indictments were issued Sept. 15, 2016, and the charges are as follows:
1. Troy Allen Large was indicted on six counts of misconduct in office and five counts of criminal sexual conduct third degree.
The indictments allege that Large knowingly used coercion to engage in sexual battery with multiple victims and knowingly engaged in inappropriate relationships with victims of cases he was investigating.
2. Darryl Williams was indicted on nine counts of misconduct in office.
The indictments allege Williams knowingly failed to properly investigate multiple alleged crimes and that he used his county vehicle and county paid time to also work for a separate state agency.
3. Todd Cox was indicted on 16 counts of misconduct in office.
The indictments allege Cox knowingly closed cases without proper investigation and knowingly unassigned himself from cases allowing them to remain unassigned for a period of time.
4. Luke Green was indicted on 3 counts of misconduct in office.
The indictments allege that Green knowingly engaged in an inappropriate sexual relationship with an informant and made inappropriate sexual contact with a suspect during an arrest.
Misconduct in office is a misdemeanor offense punishable upon conviction by up to 10 years imprisonment on each count. Criminal sexual conduct third degree is a felony offense punishable upon conviction by up to 10 years imprisonment.
The case will be prosecuted by the Attorney General’s Office.
Attorney General Alan Wilson stressed all defendants are presumed innocent unless and until they are proven guilty in a court of law.
The following is a statement from Chris Eldridge, Horry County Administrator, concerning today’s indictments related to former Horry County police officers. The indictments were brought forth by the S.C. Attorney General’s Office.
The allegations as detailed in the S.C. Attorney’s indictments, if found to be true, represent behavior grossly contrary to the standards and mission of Horry County government. What inspired SLED’s involvement in these cases was the discovery by County administration of improper conduct on the part of several officers, leading to a request by us that SLED conduct a thorough investigation, which investigation ultimately led to these indictments.
Significant changes have been made in the leadership of the Horry County Police Department, with a focus on the Criminal Investigations Division. Each of these indictments involve former employees of that Division. The Criminal Investigations Division has a new Captain, as well as a new Deputy Chief of Operations. Accountability measures have been extensively reviewed and improvements made.
The more than 250 men and women of the Horry County Police Department work tirelessly every day to Protect and Serve our community. The alleged actions of a few should not diminish the service they provide as they put their lives on the line to keep us safe.
Lastly, Horry County Police Department starts with new leadership at the top this Monday with the arrival of Chief Joe Hill. Chief Hill’s focus will be continuing the review of accountability measures for officers and strengthening relationships with the various communities of Horry County.
We appreciate the work of the SLED investigators and the care they took in these cases. We also thank the S.C. Attorney General’s office for their time and effort, and appreciate their careful consideration of the evidence. Given the fact that there are now criminal cases involving these former officers, it would be inappropriate to comment any further, as we do not want to impede the criminal process.
