Eric Todd Ellis, 32, a former Bureau of Prisons (BOP) corrections officer at the FCI-Aliceville facility in Aliceville, Alabama, pleaded guilty today in federal court to one count of sexual abuse of a ward and one count of tampering with a witness.<\/p>\n
According to court documents, on or about June 11, 2020, Ellis knowingly engaged in a sexual act with a female inmate while in the back of the laundry room of the prison. At the time, Ellis was on-duty and acting in his capacity as a corrections officer. The female inmate was in official detention and under Ellis\u2019s custodial authority. Ellis subsequently admitted his conduct to another corrections officer.<\/p>\n
Thereafter, the U.S. Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General (OIG) began investigating Ellis\u2019s conduct. While that investigation was ongoing, Ellis made the following statements \u2013 on a recorded call \u2013 to that corrections officer (to whom he had previously admitted his conduct) in reference to the federal investigation and his conduct: \u201cJust tell [the OIG agents], yeah, we\u2019re friends, but, I mean, you hadn\u2019t really talked to me about it. And when you have it\u2019s \u2013 I\u2019ve just told you that nothing happened.\u201d Ellis admitted in the plea agreement that he made those statements because was attempting to persuade that other corrections officer to provide false information to OIG agents about his sexual abuse of the female inmate.<\/p>\n
\u201cInmates detained inside jails and prisons have the right to be free from sexual assaults and sexually abusive behavior,\u201d said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department\u2019s Civil Rights Division. \u201cThe Department of Justice will continue to hold accountable prison employees who exploit their positions of power to sexually abuse individuals in their custody, and then attempt to cover up their misconduct. Corrections officers who commit sexual assault have no place inside the Bureau of Prisons, and we will continue to fight for justice for victims of these despicable crimes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Department of Justice strives to maintain a safe, secure and supportive environment for prison inmates, and one that promotes the successful reentry of inmates into society,\u201d said U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona. \u201cMy office works closely with the OIG and the Civil Rights Division to investigate and prosecute any sexual abuse of inmates by prison employees.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cEllis sexually abused an inmate in his custody and then tried to coerce another correctional officer to help him cover up his crime,\u201d said Special Agent in Charge James F. Boyersmith of the Justice Department\u2019s Office of the Inspector General Miami Field Office. \u201cThe DOJ Office of the Inspector General will continue to investigate and bring to justice anyone who engages in this kind of behavior.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Eric Todd Ellis, 32, a former Bureau of Prisons (BOP) corrections officer at the FCI-Aliceville facility in Aliceville, Alabama, pleaded guilty today in federal court to one count of sexual abuse of a ward and one count of tampering with a witness. According to court documents, on or about June 11, 2020, Ellis knowingly engaged […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3507,"featured_media":33425,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_is_tweetstorm":false,"jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":[]},"categories":[1,54],"tags":[],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"yoast_head":"\n