Deputy accused of sexually assaulting detainee at CJC

ST. LOUIS, Mo. (First Alert 4) - Police sources told First Alert 4 Investigates they are looking on Friday into a report of sexual assault of a detainee in the St. Louis Justice Center. The suspect in the case is a St. Louis Sheriff’s deputy.

The elected sheriff is denying separate accusations about whether he improperly arrested a jail official.

Sources tell us St. Louis police have been investigating an alleged sexual assault.

The victim is a detainee inside St. Louis’ Criminal Justice Center.

The alleged perpetrator was a St. Louis City Sheriff’s Deputy.

Sources told First Alert 4 Investigates the reported assault occurred on Feb. 10. But an attorney for the sheriff’s office told First Alert 4 Investigates that may not be the only act of misconduct.

The deputy, who had been with the department for three years was terminated recently, according to the attorney.

“I can also confirm that we are trying to pin down the start of the misconduct, and the internal affairs investigation exceeds the scope of this one deputy sheriff,” Montgomery’s legal counsel, Blake Lawrence, said.

Lawrence told First Alert 4 Investigates there are several sensitive issues, confirming the sheriff’s office had been conducting an internal investigation into that deputy for potentially several instances of alleged conduct that started occurring late last year.

Lawrence also said the elected sheriff Alfred Montgomery and his personnel were inside the jail regarding that investigation, on Friday.

He would not confirm what sources told us, that the sheriff placed the current head of the jail, Tammy Ross, in handcuffs essentially arresting her for a time.

“Sheriff personnel did perceive earlier today that evidence was in imminent danger of destruction or expiration and that sheriff’s deputies intervened to prevent the expiration of that evidence,” Lawrence said.

St. Louis police sent a statement saying only: “The St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department is aware of a potential incident today at the city justice center. We have no comment at this time.”

Issues have plagued the St. Louis City Justice Center for years—from riots and broken locks—to detainee deaths.

Most recently, in December, a female detainee filed a lawsuit against the city accusing jail officials of allowing a male detainee to sexually assault her when she claims officials failed to separate male and female inmates.

The deputy has not been charged. We expect additional details in the coming days.

We reached out to Mayor Tishaura Jones and to the Department of Corrections, but no official word back yet.

First Alert 4 Investigates has learned the deputy’s name but is choosing not to name him until charges are filed.

His attorney said they have no comment.

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