Thursday, February 11, 2010

Detention Officer Anthony Lavis Charged with Having Sex with Inmates

A Kern County sheriff's detention officer has been charged with sexually assaulting female inmates in the Kern County jail just weeks after another deputy was charged with having unlawful sex with an inmate, charges filed in court Thursday say.

Sheriff Donny Youngblood has scheduled a news conference Thursday afternoon on the matter, but would not comment further.

Anthony Michael Lavis, 55, is scheduled to be arraigned Feb. 18 on the charges which include four felonies and three misdemeanors. Bail in the case is $170,000.

The incidents first came to the attention of deputies Oct. 15 when one of the alleged victims said Lavis touch her while she was in the shower, court records said. An investigation was begun and audio and video surveillance was set up in the victim's cell.

Audio equipment captured conversation of a sexual nature between Lavis and the victim, and Lavis touched the victim and digitally penetrated her, according to a probable cause declaration investigators filed.

Detectives were soon able to find three other women who said Lavis touched them inappropriately, the declaration filed in Kern County Superior Court said.

The second alleged victim said Lavis kissed and touched her while she was an inmate, and the third alleged victim said that while she was in custody and assigned to a work crew Lavis walked up behind her and rubbed against her, the declaration said.

The fourth alleged victim said Lavis wouldn't allow her to return to her housing unit after she was taken off suicide watch until she disrobed for him, court records said.

A fifth woman was later found who said she had received phone calls and flowers from Lavis after she was released from jail, court record said. She said she never provided contact information to Lavis and was surprised to hear from him. Lavis was able to find her by using a Sheriff's Office criminal database, the records said.

The charges against Lavis are forcible sexual penetration, assault by an officer and three counts of intimate touching, court records say.

The charges come a month after the department arrested Detention Deputy Margarita Young, 48, on charges of having unlawful sex at Lerdo Jail with Death Row inmate Timothy Rodriguez, 41.

She has pleaded not guilty and is scheduled for a preliminary hearing in March.

1 comment:

MainliningEyeliner said...

I was locked up off and on for three years in a juvenile female prison in Warrenville, Illinois. There were plenty of sexual goings on between staff and inmates there...not to mention use of excessive force against some of us...