CRIME & COURTS

Former Spartanburg Officer Charged With Sexual Assault

Warrant alleges officer forced victim into sex about ten months after graduating from criminal justice academy.

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A former law enforcement officer in the Upstate region of South Carolina was arrested last Thursday morning (July 17, 2025) on a warrant charging him with third-degree criminal sexual conduct, according to the S.C. Law Enforcement Division (SLED).

Ahmad Tyreek Cheeks, 26, a graduate of the University of South Carolina Upstate and former officer with the Spartanburg Police Department (SPD), is accused of engaging in “sexual intercourse with the victim,” according to a probable cause affidavit provided to FITSNews.

The affidavit further alleges Cheeks used “force and/or coercion to accomplish the battery,” which reportedly occurred on October 10, 2024, in Spartanburg County.

According to SLED, the embattled Spartanburg County Sheriff’s Office requested the investigation into Cheeks 15 days after the alleged offense occurred.

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FITSNews has since requested Cheeks’ training history from the S.C. Criminal Justice Academy (SCCJA), which is expected to show which department he served with, the duration of his employment, and the reason for his separation — assuming the agency provided accurate information to the academy.

In the absence of official paperwork, SPD stated in a January 2024 Facebook post that Cheeks had graduated from the SCCJA and was expected to complete a “multi-phased” field training officer program before being released to the streets.

The department appears to have last referenced Cheeks in a June 2024 Facebook post, sharing multiple photos of him with children at a safety event hosted by Fresh Market. “Looks like everybody had a nice time getting to meet Officer Cheeks,” the caption read.

Cheeks’ publicly accessible Facebook profile shows his last post in an SPD uniform was in August 2024.

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Based on available records, he had been law enforcement certified for roughly ten months before becoming the subject of a SLED investigation.

Thursday’s arrest is the latest in a series of misconduct cases involving law enforcement in Spartanburg County — many of which have come to light following the resignation of longtime sheriff Chuck Wright, who remains under state and federal investigation.

FITSNews has reported extensively on those developments.

According to SLED, Cheeks’ case will be prosecuted by the office of S.C. Attorney General Alan Wilson.

This story may be updated.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR…

Andrew Fancher. Hurricane Helene. Buncombe County. North Carolina. FEMA. Federal Emergency Management Agency. Roy Cooper.
Andrew Fancher in Mitchell County, N.C.
(Dynal Nolan/FITSNews)

Andrew Fancher is a Lone Star Emmy award-winning journalist from Dallas, Texas. Cut from a bloodline of outlaws and lawmen alike, he was the first of his family to graduate college which was accomplished with honors. Got a story idea or news tip for Andy? Email him directly and connect with him socially across Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.

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1 comment

MaryContrary Top fan July 21, 2025 at 11:22 pm

It didn’t take him long to get in trouble. Is there something in the water in Spartanburg?

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