Beaufort probation officer accused of ‘inappropriate relationship’ with parolee
A Beaufort-based probation officer was jailed on accusations of assault and an “inappropriate relationship” with a parolee under his supervision, according to state police.
David Johnathon Shytle Jr., 47, was charged Friday morning with five counts of misconduct in office. He was also accused of two counts of second-degree assault and battery, according to inmate records at the Beaufort County Detention Center.
Investigators say the crimes happened between August 2024 and April of this year, all while Shytle worked as a probation officer for the state’s Department of Probation, Parole & Pardon Services in Beaufort County. The role entails supervising local residents who have been placed on probation, organizing meetings and acting as a liaison between convicts and the court system.
Warrants from the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division for Shytle’s five counts of official misconduct outline an “inappropriate relationship” he formed with a parolee under his supervision, including “inappropriate text messages and images” he sent the parolee.
Arresting documents also accused Shytle of two instances of nonconsensually touching and licking a victim’s private parts. It was unclear if the victim of the alleged assaults was also a parolee.
It was unclear if the accusations involved the same victim or multiple. The victim’s name was redacted on each of the seven arresting documents.
Inmate rosters show Shytle was released from the Beaufort County jail around 11 a.m. Friday, less than four hours after his booking. He was given $45,000 in personal recognizance bonds, meaning he would not be required to pay any amount of bail unless he violated court conditions.
Representatives for the Beaufort County and statewide offices of the SCDPPP did not immediately respond to messages requesting comment Friday afternoon.
South Carolina law includes no sentencing guidelines for misconduct in office, either in prison time or fines. Someone convicted of the charge is sentenced “as is comformable to the common usage and practice” in the state.
Second-degree assault and battery, whose definition includes the nonconsensual touching of another’s private parts “either under or above clothing,” is a misdemeanor punishable by a $2,500 fine and up to three years in prison.
This story was originally published August 29, 2025 at 1:44 PM.
