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Posted on 11/23/2004 7:40:58 PM PST by The_Media_never_lie
Story last updated at 7:24 a.m. Tuesday, November 23, 2004
Inmate accused of sexual assault
Detention officers who placed man in cell with woman clearly erred, officer says
BY GLENN SMITH Of The Post and Courier Staff A female inmate at the Charleston County jail has accused a male prisoner of sexually assaulting her after detention officers mistakenly placed the man in her cell early Saturday, authorities said.
Authorities are investigating the woman's allegations, but it's clear that jail personnel erred in placing a male inmate in her cell, said Chief Deputy Keith Novak, jail administrator for the Charles-ton County Sheriff's Office.
Four detention officers have been placed on administrative leave without pay while sheriff's detectives investigate, Novak said.
"It came as a shock to us," he said Monday during a press conference outside the Leeds Avenue facility. "It was a mistake, a bad mistake."
Both inmates were housed in a 26-cell wing of the jail reserved for prisoners who have violated the facility's rules and must be segregated from the general inmate population. Both men and women are housed on the wing, but not in the same cells.
The 23-year-old female inmate had been in jail since May when she was arrested on charges of armed robbery, forgery and resisting arrest, said Sheriff's Capt. Dana Valentine. She was placed in the disciplinary wing Nov. 9, authorities said.
She was sleeping in her cell when detention officers brought in a 31-year-old male inmate at 4:37 a.m. Saturday, authorities said. The male inmate had been arrested in October on armed robbery, kidnapping, burglary and other charges connected to a home invasion in North Charleston.
It remains unclear how the mistake occurred, Novak said. There was room in another cell for the male inmate, he said.
Detention officers might have grabbed the wrong door or failed to discern the female inmate's gender because she was curled up asleep under a blanket, Novak said. Still, the name, race and gender of all inmates are kept on a roster sheet in the wing, he said.
The woman told deputies that the male inmate sat down on her bed and started rubbing her back and face. She said she tried to press a call button in the cell to alert detention officers, but the man threatened to beat her, according to a police report.
The male inmate reportedly slapped her face and forced her to perform oral sex on him, deputies said. The woman told deputies she tried to use the call button again when the incident ended.
Novak would not discuss details surrounding her call for help.
Detention officers arrived at the cell at 7:10 a.m., separated the two inmates and contacted the sheriff's office after hearing the woman's allegations, a police report stated.
Novak said he could not recall a similar incident happening at the jail.
<< adopting best Gomer Pyle voice: "Well, Surprise, Surprise, Surprise!"
He probably thought he was being given a reward or something.
Need to paint those cell doors pink and blue, and stop hireing the handicapped for gaurds.
Now if it turns out she pissed off one of those gaurds prior to this, someone will be seeing jail cells from a whole new prospective.
Oddly enough, had this prisioner raped another male nothing would be done about it.
Ya think?
Tomorrow's headline: Bill Clinton to tour Charleston jail facilities.
File this under "Duh" and "You think?"
Well, there goes NOW's next big idea.
I'll bet there's a big lawsuit coming! The female detainee just hit the jackpot.
What is he supposed to think? How friggin' stupid do the guards have to be?
Honest mistake. Sure.
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The female inmate was arrested on charges of armed robbery, forgery and resisting arrest
The male inmate had been arrested on armed robbery, kidnapping, burglary and other charges connected to a home invasion in North Charleston.
A match made in kalifornia heaven.
Ya beat me to it!
no safety glasses?
I hope she sues the hell out of the police dept...this is uncalled for. If they are that stupid and have no proceedures in place, just maybe a law suit might get them to act professionally!
I'm still questioning this story.
You can't hurt the woman of steel.
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This was a marriage made in heaven. This guy should have gone slower.