A San Diego County sheriff’s deputy is accused in a civil claim of sexual misconduct with a pregnant inmate.
Deputy Juan Pascua allegedly made sexually charged and drug-related comments to the unidentified woman last summer, as she was being transported from the Las Colinas Detention and Reentry Facility to a health clinic for an exam, the San Diego Union-Tribune reported Tuesday. She was nine months pregnant at the time, according to the newspaper.
In her claim — a precursor to a lawsuit — the woman alleges that Pascua repeatedly harassed her, making comments about touching her and commenting about the amount of “offers” he received from other inmates and whether she would make him any such offers, leading her to report him, the U-T reported.
The woman maintains that following her reporting of the alleged harassment, she was transferred to the county jail in Vista, where Pascua was assigned, leading her to fear retaliation. She also said she believed she was purposely relocated to the Vista facility because she reported Pascua, the newspaper reported.
An internal affairs investigation was opened into the allegations, but the claim did not specify the results of that investigation, according to the U-T.
The newspaper did not report why the woman was in jail, but noted that she is currently out of custody and living with her mother somewhere in San Diego County.
— City News Service