McKnight suing city, department

By Jason Evans

Staff Reporter

jevans@thepccourier.com

PICKENS — A former Pickens Police Department officer faces multiple charges in connection with allegations of illicit sexual activities with minors.

Pickens County Sheriff’s Office Chief Deputy Creed Hashe said 28-year-old Akiel Jamar McKnight, 28, is charged with two counts of second-degree sexual exploitation of a minor, three counts of contributing to the delinquency of a minor, one count of criminal solicitation of a minor and one count of misconduct in office.

S.C. Law Enforcement Division agents arrested McKnight on Jan. 2, according to a release from special agent Thom Berry.

Online records show McKnight, who had been employed by the Atlantic Beach Police Department in Horry County since last month, was booked at the J. Reuben Long Detention Center in North Myrtle Beach at 7:43 p.m. Jan. 2. He was released a little more than an hour later and transferred to the Pickens County Detention Center, where he was booked at around 1 a.m. and later denied bond on all charges.

Warrants allege McKnight asked a minor to send him sexually explicit photographs and/or videos between Oct. 1, 2017, and Nov. 29, 2018, and

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