Clay County sheriff’s deputy accused of sexually assaulting jail inmate
A Clay County deputy is on administrative leave after being accused of sexually assaulting an inmate inside the county jail, according to the sheriff’s office.
The inmate identified the deputy and made the allegation about 12:30 a.m. Saturday, officials said. An investigation was launched and the inmate was taken to a hospital for an examination.
The inmate was returned to the jail in Liberty later that morning. He is currently being housed in a restricted area, said Capt. Will Akin, a spokesman for the sheriff’s office.
“We hold our employees to the highest standards and take all accusations of misconduct seriously,” Akin said. “We also intend to determine exactly what happened leading to this complaint and take appropriate action.”
Akin declined to release the inmate’s name or provide details of what was alleged to have happened. The name of the deputy was also withheld. The deputy has been employed by the sheriff’s office for more than a year, Akin said.
Because the allegations were made against a deputy, the inmate will moved to another detention facility, Akin said.
The family of the inmate identified him in a call with The Star. The Star does not generally identify victims of sexual assault without their permission.
The inmate, a 39-year-old man from Kansas City, has been in custody at the Clay County jail since at least January.
A Clay County grand jury indicted the man that month on charges of first-degree burglary and first-degree sexual abuse. He was accused of unlawfully entering an apartment complex in December 2014 in the 9400 block of NE 79th Street in Kansas City and subjecting a female to sexual contact by the “use of forcible compulsion,” according to charging documents.
He has pleaded not guilty to the charges. He is scheduled to appear in court May 14.
Family members of the man said they were concerned about his physical well-being.
“This is corruption at its highest (and) no one should have to suffer this type of horrendous cruelty,” a relative wrote in an email to The Star. “This needs to be dealt with and stopped.”
The family has retained an attorney.
In a statement, the sheriff’s office said because the allegation remains under investigation, it was limited in what it could say.
“While we respect the family’s concerns and motive to share their understanding of the accusations, please know there are things we cannot share at this time to protect the integrity of the investigation,” the sheriff’s office said.
