PERRYVILLE, Ark. (AP) — An Arkansas jail officer was arrested and charged with sexually assaulting a prisoner, authorities said Thursday.
In a statement posted online, the Perry County Sheriff’s Office said deputies opened an internal investigation after allegations surfaced that a detention officer had an “inappropriate relationship” with a prisoner at the Perry County Detention Center in Perryville, Arkansas, about 44 miles (70.81 kilometers) from Little Rock.
Investigators interviewed the detention officer and obtained a recorded statement from him. He was then fired, arrested and charged with two counts of third-degree sexual assault. He was booked into the Perry County Detention Center and moved to another facility where he is awaiting a bond hearing, the statement said.
The officer had been employed at the jail since August 2022, according to KARK-TV.
Deputies said an investigation into the case is still open and offered no further information Thursday.
