By Kacie Breeding
Knoxville News-Sentinel
KINGSPORT, Tenn. — A former Sullivan County Animal Shelter supervisor has been arrested and charged with multiple counts of sexual contact with female inmates under his supervision and official misconduct.
Phillip Howard Lane, 46, of Kingsport turned himself in to authorities at approximately 8 p.m. Wednesday. He was subsequently released after posting a $20,000 bond.
A warrant was issued for Lane’s arrest after a Sullivan County grand jury returned sealed indictments against him Tuesday, charging him with three counts of sexual contact with inmates and three counts of official misconduct.
Sullivan County Assistant District Attorney General Barry Staubus said Thursday that Lane’s charges involve one female inmate. Lane is accused of having sexual contact with the woman at the animal shelter on three occasions between June 2009 and July 2009, he said.
Sullivan County Sher-iff’s Office Capt. Keith Elton said the woman was a “day reporter” at the Sullivan County jail beginning in May 2009.
The term “day reporter” refers to participants in the jail’s work-release program, said Elton. These inmates don’t spend nights in jail, but report daily and provide eight hours of inmate labor, completing assigned tasks such as cleaning county buildings or mowing.
According to a police report dated November 2010, Lane was initially investigated for allegedly having “inappropriate sexual contact” with two female inmates under his supervision.
He is scheduled for a May 13 appearance in Sullivan County Criminal Court.
The Sullivan County Sheriff’s Office terminated Lane following an internal investigation into a code of conduct violation in November 2010.
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