SC Police Officer, Volunteer Youth Leader Arrested for Sexually Abusing Minors

Charges are for incidents that took place with minors he knew through volunteering as a youth leader.

Authorities have arrested a South Carolina police officer and youth leader for sex-related crimes with minors.

Officer Erickson Douglas Lee, 25, turned himself in to York County detectives in South Carolina May 2. Lee had previously been taken into custody on April 30 in Charlotte, N.C., before being released on a fugitive bond.

Soon after, Lee resigned from the police force, effective immediately.

Channel 9 first reported that Lee was a former youth volunteer for MorningStar Ministries and participated in their affiliated Young Special Forces program.

The allegations against Lee were for incidents reported between December 2020 and January 2023. All the crimes allegedly occurred at Lee’s home in Fort Mill.

One of the warrants charged Lee with third-degree criminal sexual conduct with a minor between December 2020 and June 2022, according to the investigators. Authorities accused Lee of engaging in sex acts 30 times over 1.5 years with victims under 16.

According to investigators, a 17-year-old claimed Lee hurt him in July 2022 through “nonconsensual touching” while Lee was his youth leader.

Detectives say the victim was intoxicated at the time and charged Lee with first-degree assault and battery in connection with the incident.

Access to MinistryWatch content is free.  However, we hope you will support our work with your prayers and financial gifts.  To make a donation, click here.

In addition, police say Lee played a pornographic video to a 17-year-old victim at his home on the same day.

The same thing occurred at Lee’s home between August 2021 and January 2023 to at least three additional victims under 18, police said. Lee was also their youth leader, according to the warrant.

Another warrant said that in December 2021 says Lee allegedly sexually assaulted a victim who was at least 14 years old but under 16.

Although Lee was a volunteer at the church, MorningStar Fellowship Church said he was not a member at the time of his arrest and had not worked with the organization for several months.

They added that none of the alleged incidents appear to have occurred on church property.

The church claims Lee’s military experience and law enforcement history gave them no initial cause of suspicion.

However, MorningStar said they alerted York County sheriff’s deputies once they learned of his potential criminal activity and said they were assisting law enforcement with their investigation.

According to the Cornelius police chief, Lee had been employed by the Cornelius Police Department as a patrol officer since June 2021.