By Greg Oliver
Courtesy The Journal

goliver@upstatetoday.com

COLUMBIA — A 33-year-old Pickens County man and a former law enforcement officer have been arrested by agents of the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division and face multiple charges, including sexual misconduct and obstruction of justice.

Christopher Ryan Merck, of Shiloh Circle in Easley, was charged with blackmail and obstruction of justice.

The blackmail charge constitutes a felony that carries a penalty upon conviction of a fine of up to $5,000, up to 10 years in prison, or both. The obstruction of justice charge carries a penalty upon conviction of up to 10 years in prison.

Heather Simpson Griffith, 30, was charged with obstruction of justice, as well as first-degree sexual misconduct with an inmate, patient or offender. The latter charge is a felony upon conviction that carries a penalty of up to 10 years in prison.

Griffith was also charged with misconduct in office, which also has a penalty upon conviction of up to 10 years in prison.

The case was investigated by SLED at the request of the South Carolina Department of Probation, Parole and Pardon Services.

SLED spokesman Thom Berry said the arrests were in connection with actions leading to false information given to a circuit court judge about the man’s probation status.

Warrants claim Griffith, as an appointed and a commissioned agent for the South Carolina Department of Probation, Parole and Pardon services, “knowingly and voluntarily engaged in acts of sexual intercourse with an offender she supervised on probation for the purpose of sexual gratification.”

The warrants also claim that Griffith provided alcohol to the offender she supervised.

Investigators believe Griffith, according to arrest warrants, between March 3-14 “did knowingly and willfully impede, obstruct, interfere with and influence the proper administration of the criminal justice function by enacting a scheme along with an offender she supervised as a probation agent.”

The warrants claim the scheme “entailed presenting falsehoods to a circuit court judge that would allow the offender to have his probation terminated early.”

Arrest warrants allege that between March 14 and April 27 of this year, Merck used verbal and electronic communication to compel his victim “to engage in sexual intercourse against her will” and also extorted items of value that included jewelry, a television, clothing and gift cards from the victim by “threatening to expose her personal failings to her spouse, her employer and the news media.”

Both Merck and Griffith were booked at the Anderson County Detention Center. Neither was still being held there Tuesday, according to inmate records.