Former jail guard faces more misconduct charges
Phillip Tollison
A former Laurens County Sheriff’s Office deputy who worked as a guard at the Johnson Detention Center was back in jail Monday on additional charges of misconduct in office and voyeurism.
Phillip Kevin Tollison, 33, was arrested initially on Wednesday (Oct. 28) and booked initially into the detention center. The LCSO requested a criminal investigation by the State Law Enforcement Division (SLED) after learning of the alleged incident on Aug. 27.
On Monday, Tollison was arrested again as SLED’s investigation continued and charged with five additional counts of misconduct in office and five counts of voyeurism and violating a place of privacy.
According to the initial warrant released by SLED, Tollison was arrested for “engaging in behavior that was dishonest and gratuitous by exposing himself to an individual while on duty.”
The warrant went on to describe Tollison’s alleged actions involving a female inmate at the Johnson Detention Center.
“Tollison on one occasion did have the victim strip exposing her naked body and exposed his penis. On a separate occasion he had the victim get partially undressed to ‘size’ for her uniforms,” the warrant read. “All the incidents took place while he was on duty.”
The 10 charges levied against Tollison Monday accuse him of setting up a webcam in his office and inviting multiple victims to change their clothes in his office and recorded them there without their knowledge or consent.
Each of the victims had “the reasonable expectation of privacy,” the warrants read.
According to the arrest warrants from SLED, the incidents took place between June of 2019 and May of this year.
A release from the LCSO said, “Sheriff (Don) Reynolds believes that the Laurens County Sheriff’s Office is entrusted to protect and serve. We will always strive to serve in an ethical and professional manner. SLED’s investigation will help to determine the facts, and Sheriff Reynolds appreciates their involvement.”
The case will be prosecuted by the 8th Circuit Solicitor’s Office. Tollison was reportedly moved to the Greenwood Detention Center before being released on bond Thursday. He remained in the Johnson Detention Center Tuesday on the additional charges.
