Ex-SC prison guard charged with drug possession, sex with inmate

Justin Jamar Bates (Photo: Chester County Detention Center)

CHESTER, S.C. (AP) — A South Carolina prison guard who was fired last month has now been arrested on charges of drug possession and sexual misconduct with an inmate.

The Herald reports 23-year-old Justin Jamar Bates has been booked into the same Chester County jail where he used to work until his Sept. 27 firing.

He was arrested Friday on the drug charge. An incident report says authorities responding to a possible overdose reported by Bates found him to be in possession of fentanyl. He posted bail and was free when state authorities arrested him on misconduct charges Monday.

Sheriff Max Dorsey says the state investigation began last month. He declined to provide further details, saying state authorities are handling the misconduct investigation. The sheriff says Bates had been a detention officer since 2017.