Gregory Rodriguez is facing up to 300 years in prison.
TeeRoy's 2 Cents:
- How was he able to rape 13 inmates before anyone knew? It's a major fail on the part of the prison.
- There have been several other cases involving prison guards assaulting inmates over the past few years, including one at the same women's facility in 2018.
- It's a classic abuse of power.
A former correctional officer at California's biggest women's prison has been arrested and charged with sexually assaulting at least 13 inmates.
54-year-old Gregory Rodriguez worked at the Central California Women's Facility for 12 years and retired last August when an investigation was opened into rape allegations. He's been charged with with 96 counts of rape and sexual battery. The alleged assaults date back to 2014, although most of them occurred over the past two years. Rodriguez is being held on $7.8 million bail. If convicted, he could be facing a maximum sentence of 300 years in prison.
The Madera County District Attorney's Office said in a statement, "These allegations are in no way a reflection on the vast majority of correctional officers who act professionally and do their best to make sure prisoners serve their time while remaining safe. It is our hope that the removal and arrest of this defendant encourages them to continue in their honorable profession upholding the law every day." (CBS News)