Pender County Jail detention officer charged after alleged on duty incident

PENDER COUNTY, NC (WWAY) — According to the Pender County Sheriff’s Office, a detention officer was charged after an incident that allegedly occurred while on duty.

Court documents say that 38-year-old, Jerrod Richardson of Wallace accessed an inmate’s personal cell phone without authorization while they were confined at Pender County Sheriff’s Office Detention Center. The documents go on to say this was for the purpose of searching and viewing personal images inside the photos app and had no law enforcement purpose.

Pender County Sheriff’s Office says Richardson was immediately placed on administrative leave and investigated.

As of Monday, Richardson was terminated and charges were filed by the State Bureau of Investigation.

Richardson is charged with willful fail discharge duties and accessing computers.

Here is the full statement from the Pender County Sheriff’s Office:

“The Pender County Sheriff’s Office confirms that a detention officer, Jerrod Richardson, has been criminally charged in connection with an incident that allegedly occurred while on duty at the Pender County Jail.

Upon learning of the allegations, Sheriff Cutler immediately placed Mr. Richardson on administrative leave and initiated an internal investigation. The matter was also referred to the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation for investigation of any criminal wrongdoing. Mr. Richardson was terminated from the Pender County Sheriff’s Office, and Criminal charges have since been filed by the SBI on February 9, 2026. 

Due to the pending criminal case and internal investigation, the Pender County Sheriff’s Office will not comment further on the specifics of the incident at this time. The Sheriff’s Office is cooperating fully with the judicial process.

The Pender County Sheriff’s Office holds its employees to the highest standards of professionalism, integrity, and accountability. Actions that fall short of those standards are taken seriously and addressed in accordance with the law and agency policy.”