SLED: Corrections officer held hostage, sexually assaulted by inmate from Upstate

MCCORMICK, S.C. (FOX Carolina) - The South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) and South Carolina Department of Corrections are investigating a sexual assault that took place at the McCormick Correctional Institution.

Investigators said on Sept. 20, 23-year-old inmate Timothy Darren Sherard Jr. held a corrections officer against her will in the bathroom of an education building. According to arrest warrants, he used a sharp object and threatened to kill the victim before forcing her to have sex with him.

The victim had abrasion marks on her neck consistent with being strangled, SLED said. The employee who was assaulted was treated at a local hospital.

SLED said Sherard has been charged with taking a hostage, criminal sexual conduct- first degree and possession of a weapon during a violent crime. He was moved to a different detention facility on Thursday.

Sherard was serving time at McCormick for false imprisonment and assault and battery. The crimes occurred in Greenwood County.

According to prison records, Sherard is eligible for parole in December and his projected release date is in October 2025.

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