Arkansas Corrections Officer Loses Job After Police Discover What He was Doing Off-Duty

Image Credit: Pope County Sheriff’s Office An Arkansas corrections officer is out of a job and facing a criminal charge after state and federal investigators began examining his activities outside the workplace. The Pope County Sheriff’s Office confirmed that the 26-year-old employee was immediately terminated after Sheriff Blake Wilson learned about the investigation.

According to a press release from the Pope County Sheriff’s Office and Detention Center, the employee was identified as Chance Michael Panther, 26. The investigation involves accusations of distributing, viewing, and possessing child sexual abuse material.

Sheriff Wilson learned about the investigation after receiving information from the Arkansas State Police and Homeland Security. Once the sheriff was notified, Panther was fired from his position and taken into custody by investigators from the two agencies.

The sheriff’s office emphasized that the accusations involve conduct outside Panther’s employment at the detention center. Wilson also stated that the suspected offenses did not occur while Panther was on duty or involve computers belonging to the facility.

Embedded Facebook post follows; please give it a moment to load completely.

According to Pope County inmate records, Panther was booked into custody on October 9, 2026, at approximately 8:55 a.m. The jail lists his inmate identification number as 2026100060 and identifies the arresting agency as an agency other than the Pope County Sheriff’s Office.

The booking record lists a charge under Arkansas Code § 5-27-602, described as “DIST/POSS OR VIEW SEX EXPLICIT CHILD MAT.” The statute concerns distributing, possessing, or viewing sexually explicit material involving children, although the available booking information does not distinguish which specific conduct forms the basis of Panther’s charge.

The jail record also indicates that Panther has one prior booking, although it does not provide information about the circumstances surrounding that earlier entry. Authorities have not disclosed how investigators initially became aware of the suspected activity or how long the investigation had been underway.

In his statement, Sheriff Wilson emphasized that individuals involved in crimes of this nature should face criminal prosecution when the evidence supports it. He also stressed that the department remains committed to protecting children and holding offenders accountable.

“Anyone found engaging in these criminal acts will be held accountable and, when supported by the evidence, arrested and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law,” Wilson stated. He added that the sheriff’s office has “zero tolerance for crimes of this nature” and remains focused on protecting the community.

Panther’s arrest brings an immediate end to his employment with the Pope County Detention Center, while the Arkansas State Police and Homeland Security remain the agencies handling questions about the investigation. Although his October 9 booking record confirms a charge involving sexually explicit child material, the sheriff’s office has not released further details about the evidence or circumstances surrounding the accusations.

Nat is an extreme hobbyist who enjoys learning everything there is to know/writing about the video game industry. After graduating, they hopped into various careers, including Pre-K teacher, Marketing Manager, Copywriter, and Retail Manager, all while writing for gaming sites such as Pro Game Guides, The Nerd Stash, DailyGamer, Power Up Gaming, and Hardcore Gamer.

Stationed in the northeast, Nat spends their free time learning new skills and running a social media marketing company for indie devs!

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.