Fired Hardeeville cop cleared by AG’s office after human trafficking probe led to charge
A former Hardeeville police officer, previously accused of soliciting prostitution and tipping off individuals involved in prostitution that police were nearby, saw his criminal charge dismissed this week.
On Monday, the S.C. Attorney General’s Office dismissed a charge of misconduct in office against Jessie Leerowan Tyson III. He was fired by the Hardeeville Police Department in June 2019, according to Chief Sam Woodward.
“After a full investigation into the allegations and discussion with law enforcement, the agreement was made for Tyson to resign his certification as a law enforcement officer and the state would not move forward with prosecution,” AG’s office spokesperson Robert Kittle said in an email Friday.
On April 18, 2019, law enforcement agents were in the area of Whyte Hardee Boulevard in Hardeeville conducting a human trafficking investigation. After taking several people into custody, agents learned that Tyson, a Hardeeville police officer at the time, had previously solicited one of those individuals “to perform sexual acts for money,” according to an arrest warrant.
Tyson also allegedly used Snapchat to “to warn Defendants involved in prostitution to avoid said activity due to the presence of law enforcement in the area,” the warrants said.
He had prior knowledge police would be in the area conducting an operation at that time, the document said.
Tyson’s attorney Freddy Woods, of the South Carolina-based Woods Law Firm, said they could not comment.
“We cannot comment on the details of the case because it is a private matter. However, we are very happy with the resolution wherein the charges have been dismissed,” Woods said in a statement on behalf of Tyson.
The S.C. Law Enforcement Division investigated the case. Tyson had worked at the department for around one year before being fired.
The AG’s office said Tyson resigned his law enforcement certification. He is unable to be a police officer in South Carolina without one.
Prostitution and human trafficking are persistent problems in Hardeeville, officials have said. Woodward told the Post and Courier newspaper at a human trafficking task force meeting in January that is because of the interstate that cuts through the city and a number of motels serving tourists between Savannah and Charleston.
This story was originally published March 19, 2022 at 8:00 AM.
