A former Holly Hill police officer pleaded guilty this week to dismissing traffic tickets for female motorists if they allowed themselves to be photographed partially or completely nude.

Mark Wright, 39, of 2201 Mossy Oaks Road, Beaufort, was sentenced to eight months in prison after pleading guilty to four counts of misconduct in office.

“Based on the evidence on this case, Wright should not be a police officer,” prosecuting Assistant Solicitor Glen Justis said. “He betrayed the public trust, and he needs to get help.”

Defense attorney Ed Brown of Charleston could not be reached for comment Tuesday.

In one of the counts against Wright, police said he offered to drop speeding charges against a female motorist in 1998 if she would hold up her shirt for him to take a photo of her breast.

Later, on two separate occasions in July 1999 and December 2004, investigators said Wright offered to drop driving-under-suspension charges against female motorists if they would allow him to videotape them nude at the police department.

A fourth count was levied in connection with a September 2004 incident in which Wright was said to have executed a warrant to search for narcotics at an apartment in Holly Hill. Once there, investigators said, he removed personal photos showing the victim in sexual positions and did not list the photos in a return of the evidence collected.

In January 2005, SLED agents found the videotapes and pictures of the motorists while executing a search warrant in Wright’s apartment. Agents also recovered the photos that had been removed from the woman’s apartment.

Circuit Court Judge James Williams presided over the case.

In unrelated cases:

* Lawrence Eugene Houser, 46, of 125 Cocktail Lane, Holly Hill, pleaded guilty to possession of a stolen vehicle and attempted grand larceny and was sentenced on each charge to eight years, suspended to three years and five years of probation.

On Dec. 24, 2007 Houser was found in possession of a stolen 2006 Kenworth big rig truck while attempting to steal a $15,000 utility trailer from a Bowman business.

* Kelvin Keitt, 44, of 224 Broad St., Orangeburg, pleaded guilty to violating the terms of his monitoring and was sentenced to 90 days, suspended to one year of probation.

A warrant against Keitt indicates he failed to pay monitoring fees and maintain a telephone.

* Hilton Thomas Wise Sr., 53, of 142 Edisto St., North, pleaded guilty to assault and battery of a high and aggravated nature and was sentenced to three years, suspended to 18 months of probation.

* Seth Davis, 31, of 155 Diamond Head Road, Orangeburg, pleaded guilty to threatening the life of a public official and was sentenced to three years, suspended to two years of probation.

* Terri Lee Fulmer, 29, of 460 Banashee Circle, Orangeburg, pleaded guilty to second-degree burglary and was sentenced to four years, suspended to two years of probation.

T&D Staff Writer Richard Walker can be reached by e-mail at rwalker@timesanddemocrat.com or by phone at 803-533-5516.

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