CHEROKEE COUNTY, South Carolina – A South Carolina deputy coroner who previously served as a local volunteer fire chief has been taken into custody following allegations of financial theft and voyeurism.
Cherokee County Sheriff Steven Mueller announced that Joshua Perrin Parker, 49, was arrested and booked into the Cherokee County Detention Center. Parker faces charges of embezzling $10,000 or more in public funds alongside two counts of voyeurism.
The Cherokee County Coroner’s Office confirmed that Parker was officially terminated from his role as deputy coroner on Monday. This termination followed an initial suspension that took effect on December 29, 2025.
According to the coroner’s office, the suspension was triggered after the board chairman of the Buffalo Volunteer Fire Department filed a report detailing suspected fraudulent activities by Parker, who used to head the department.
An outside auditor assisted the fire department’s board in uncovering multiple thousands of dollars in financial discrepancies. Following this discovery, the board removed Parker from his position. The board chairman also notified law enforcement about a hidden camera that contained sexually explicit images, which authorities believe may have been utilized to film victims without their knowledge or consent.
Legal warrants indicate that the voyeurism allegations involve events occurring between 2019 and 2022. The financial misappropriation charges cover a timeframe spanning from January 2021 through December 2025.
Cherokee County Coroner Dennis Fowler emphasized that the criminal charges are entirely independent of the coroner’s office operations, but noted that dismissal was necessary to maintain institutional integrity. Fowler stated that he and his staff are held to a rigorous standard of public trust and that he would not tolerate anything less from his employees.
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