SLED charges former Beaufort County probation officer with misconduct in office

BEAUFORT COUNTY, S.C. (WTOC) - The South Carolina Law Enforcement Division has charged a former South Carolina Department of Probation, Parole and Pardon Services officer.

SLED said David Johnathon Shytle Jr., 48, was charged on Wednesday with three counts of misconduct in office and booked into the Beaufort County Detention Center.

Jail records show that he is still behind bars.

According to arrest warrant affidavits, investigators allege Shytle engaged in an inappropriate relationship with a parolee under his supervision while acting in his official capacity as a probation officer.

The warrants allege he sent inappropriate text messages and, in one warrant, “text messages and images” via cellphone. Court documents claim he also engaged in sexual intercourse with a parolee.

The affidavits say the alleged conduct took place over multiple time periods, including July to August 2024, September 2024 to February 2025, and May 2024 to July 2025.

The warrants state SLED’s investigation relied on witness statements, surveillance video and investigative findings.

SLED also noted it previously charged Shytle on Aug. 28, 2025, with two counts of second-degree assault and battery and five counts of misconduct in office.