A Fort Bend County jail detention officer was accused by an inmate of having an inappropriate relationship with another inmate.
The 31-year-old officer, Nathan Carr, was immediately removed from having any contact with inmates in the facility after being employed for over four years and an administrative and criminal investigation was initiated.
This raised questions as to whether their relationship was consensual, and according to the Fort Bend County’s assistant district attorney, the consent is not the concern.
“The consent is not an issue in this case, it is when a guard, somebody in authority has sexual relations with an inmate, that person has authority to put that other person in custody,” said the Fort Bend County assistant district attorney, Lester Blizzard.
“Because of that relationship, the legislature has reviewed that it is inappropriate.”
Carr Cooperated with the investigation and gave a voluntary statement admitting to this inappropriate conduct.
Based on all of the evidence, Carr was immediately relieved of duty and arrested with charges on improper sexual activity with a person in custody on Saturday at approximately 9 p.m.
“This is a civil rights violation, state jail felony, punishable up to two years with probably a $10,000 fine,” said the Fort Bend County Sheriff, Eric Fagan.
This brings up the next question as to how this can be prevented for the future.
Fagan announced that he will require officers to have biannual training and post additional posters across the facility in which he claims is more than the state requires.
Produced by Shivani Parmar