South Carolina

Registered sex offender exposed himself at intersection in Columbia, police say

A registered sex offender was recently arrested for exposing himself at a busy intersection in South Carolina, according to the Columbia Police Department.

Joey Leaphart, a 56-year-old Columbia resident, was charged with indecent exposure, Richland County court records show.

On Monday, Leaphart exposed himself at the intersection of Maple Street and Millwood Avenue, police said. That’s not far from Devine Street and Five Points areas of Columbia.

After police said they received information from witnesses, Leaphart was booked into the Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center on Tuesday, jail records show. Bond was set at $25,000 and Leaphart remains behind bars, according to jail records.

Should Leaphart post bond, “he must wear a GPS device (and) can only attend church, seek medical attention, or legal counsel,” police said.

Leaphart is listed on the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division’s sex offender registry. Records show that in December 2000, Leaphart was convicted of committing or attempting a lewd act on a child younger than 16.

In November 2023, Leaphart pleaded guilty to an indecent exposure charge, court records show.

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This story was originally published April 23, 2025 at 2:19 PM with the headline "Registered sex offender exposed himself at intersection in Columbia, police say."

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Noah Feit
The State
Noah Feit is a Real Time reporter with The State focused on breaking news, public safety and trending news. The award-winning journalist has worked for multiple newspapers since starting his career in 1999. Support my work with a digital subscription
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