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| Bailiff resigns after inmate assault claim |
| By The News-Press |
| Published: 12/16/2004 |
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A bailiff at the Lee County (Fla.) Justice Center resigned amid accusations he sexually assaulted a female inmate Nov. 23 while escorting the woman to court. Lee County Sheriff's Cpl. William Warren Swager, 51, quit Dec. 2, giving Sheriff Rod Shoap a short letter that gave no reason for his departure. Sheriff's spokesman Cpl. Larry King confirmed Swager is being investigated for allegedly sexually assaulting an inmate. Investigative Chief Steve Emerson of the Florida Department of Law Enforcement's Fort Myers regional office said his agency has joined the investigation. "We are working jointly with Lee County," Emerson said. "We will definitely be interviewing her along with other witnesses." Swager couldn't be reached for comment. He didn't return three messages left Tuesday and Wednesday on the telephone answering machine at his Cape Coral home. The News-Press learned of the accusations through a letter and a phone call from the 27-year-old inmate, who is in jail on fraud, forgery, grand theft and child neglect charges. The woman, who is not being identified by The News-Press because of the nature of her allegations, said Swager escorted her to court Nov. 23 only to find she wasn't supposed to be there until the next day. She said Swager rubbed up against her backside just before taking her into court. "He told me, 'This never happened,'" the inmate said. The inmate said when Swager escorted her out about 50 minutes later, he locked her in a holding cell and took several male inmates back to jail. She said when Swager returned he began rubbing against her, touching her breasts and genitalia. "He came up from behind me," she said. "He fondled my breasts and then put his hands underneath my uniform. ... This went on for 10 to 15 minutes, give or take. It felt like forever. I did tell him no and to stop. He made me put my hands behind my back. He took advantage of his badge and violated me. The inmate said she told officers about the incident when she returned to her cell block and an investigation began. "They did a lie detector test on me and I passed," the inmate said. "After that they had me do a photo lineup. They had me pick him out." Records show the inmate pleaded guilty Sept. 12, 2000, to sale of cocaine and was put on three years of probation. She was arrested on the current charges Oct. 8. |
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