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Broken Badges: Anderson County Resource Officer Arrested for Sexual Battery of Student

By James Seidel | CC News Network

ANDERSON COUNTY, S.C. — A school resource officer in Anderson County has joined the growing list of law enforcement officials in South Carolina arrested for serious misconduct, further exposing the deepening crisis of abuse of power within the state’s justice system.

Nicholas Cain Posey, 32, was arrested on Feb. 12 and charged with sexual battery with a student, according to the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED). An arrest warrant alleges that between Oct. 1 and Oct. 31, 2023, Posey engaged in sexual intercourse with a 17-year-old student at the high school where he was assigned as a resource officer.

Posey knew the victim was a student, according to the warrant. Following his arrest, he was booked into the Anderson County Detention Center, and his case will be prosecuted by the South Carolina Attorney General’s Office.

Posey is no longer employed as a school resource officer.

Broken Badges — Nicholas Cain Posey, 32, was arrested on Feb. 12 and charged with sexual battery with a student

A Pattern of Abuse in South Carolina’s Law Enforcement Ranks

Posey’s arrest is not an isolated incident—his case is one of many in South Carolina where those entrusted with public safety have instead betrayed that trust. Over the past few years, numerous officers, sheriff’s deputies, and prison guards have faced criminal charges for sexual misconduct, corruption, brutality, and dereliction of duty.

Broken Badges: Charleston County: Deputy Sentenced for Sexual Assault

In 2023, former Charleston County sheriff’s deputy Raymond Johnson was sentenced to 20 years in prison for sexually assaulting multiple women while on duty. Johnson used his badge as a weapon, pulling over women late at night and coercing them into non-consensual acts under the threat of arrest. His conviction came after several victims came forward, revealing a pattern of abuse that had gone unchecked for years.

Broken Badges: Greenville County: Sheriff Arrested for Public Corruption

Former Greenville County Sheriff Will Lewis was convicted in 2020 of misconduct in office after an investigation exposed his involvement in an extramarital affair, misuse of public funds, and attempts to manipulate department hiring processes. Lewis, once a rising star in South Carolina law enforcement, abused taxpayer money to fund extravagant trips and cover up personal scandals.

Broken Badges: Richland County Jail: Officers Arrested in Federal Probe

At Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center, multiple corrections officers have been arrested in an ongoing federal investigation into inmate abuse, drug smuggling, and sexual misconduct. The U.S. Department of Justice released a scathing report in January 2024, citing “systematic, pervasive, and unchecked violence” inside the jail, with officers participating in or covering up criminal activities.

Breaking the Badge: A Culture of Impunity?

The arrest of Nicholas Posey is yet another example of law enforcement officers abusing their authority—this time in the very schools they were meant to protect.

South Carolina continues to grapple with a broken system, where officers, deputies, and prison guards face criminal charges with alarming frequency. The trend has undermined public trust and raised serious questions about the vetting, hiring, and oversight of those entrusted with public safety.

What’s Next?

Posey’s case will move forward under the South Carolina Attorney General’s Office, with no word yet on whether additional victims may come forward.
SLED and other agencies face mounting pressure to reform recruitment and accountability measures for law enforcement officers statewide.
Calls for federal intervention in South Carolina’s law enforcement agencies are growing, as reports of abuse and corruption continue to surface.

One thing is clear—the blue wall is cracking in South Carolina. With every arrest, the reality becomes harder to ignore: The problem isn’t just bad cops—it’s a broken system that enables them.