A former Anderson County EMS paramedic is facing a felony charge after state investigators say he touched a patient's private parts without consent during a late 2025 call for service, then falsified the official report afterward. Daniel Lee Fanning, 44, was arrested October 2 and booked into the Anderson County Detention Center on one count of first-degree assault and battery.
The South Carolina Law Enforcement Division announced the arrest on Monday, confirming it opened the investigation at the specific request of the Pendleton Police Department because Fanning was an Anderson County employee, according to SLED. Handing the case to the state agency is standard practice when a public employee is the suspect, ensuring the investigation isn't handled by the same local department the employee worked alongside. As reported by FOX Carolina, Fanning was formally charged with assault and battery first-degree in Anderson County.
According to the arrest warrant, the alleged assault happened on December 22, 2025, while Fanning was responding to a call for service. Investigators say he drove the victim in a county Quick Response Vehicle (QRV) to a private residence, where the improper touching occurred, per a report from Upstatenewstoday. The outlet reports that GPS tracking data embedded in the county emergency vehicle helped place Fanning at the residence during the incident.
Termination Followed a Falsified Report
Anderson County EMS terminated Fanning after determining he had falsified an official EMS report tied to the same call, the Facebook report states. Anderson County paramedics operate QRVs — single-paramedic vehicles equipped for rapid advanced life support — to reach 911 calls quickly, working alongside contracted ambulance crews who handle actual patient transport, per county employment records from Anderson County Government.
Following his booking, a judge set Fanning's bond at $20,000 surety, per the same Facebook account. FOX Carolina reports that the station requested a statement from Anderson County EMS regarding Fanning's termination.
What the Charge Means Under State Law
First-degree assault and battery is a felony in South Carolina, carrying a potential sentence of up to 10 years in prison upon conviction under South Carolina Code § 16-3-600(C)(1). The statute defines the first-degree charge to include any unlawful injury involving nonconsensual touching of a person's private parts, under or above clothing, carried out with lewd and lascivious intent. State law further defines “private parts” in these prosecutions as the genital area or buttocks of a male or female, or the breasts of a female.
SLED confirmed the case will be prosecuted by the 10th Circuit Solicitor's Office, which handles criminal prosecutions across Anderson and Oconee counties. Under the circuit's Victim-Witness Assistance Program, crime victims in Anderson County are assigned designated advocates to ensure case notification, court accompaniment, and protections outlined in the South Carolina Victim's Bill of Rights, according to the 10th Circuit Solicitor's Office.
Certification Status Remains Active
Despite the felony charge and his termination from Anderson County EMS, state licensing records show Fanning still holds an active South Carolina paramedic certification, set to expire in December 2029. South Carolina's Bureau of EMS and Trauma maintains an Investigative Review Committee that can convene to review cases against licensed medical personnel and recommend suspension or revocation when a licensee faces felony charges or allegations of moral turpitude, under South Carolina Code § 44-61-10. Any such administrative review would proceed separately from the criminal case now headed toward prosecution.
