A Nigerian-born prison warder, Olukunle Oyekanmi, has been charged with forcing an inmate to perform a sex act in her jail cell.
Washington Post reports that police authorities in Montgomery County wrote in court documents that the rape victim said Oyekanmi, who is 41 years old, walked into her cell at 6:20 a.m. on Tuesday.
She was wearing pants and no shirt but was under the sheets in bed. Oyekanmi allegedly removed the sheet, fondled her and said he “wanted her now.”
The inmate reportedly “ignored Oyekanmi’s statement,” and he left the cell.
He returned to her cell a short time later and ordered her to stand up. When she did, he grabbed her, she tried to pull away, but he directed her to sit on a toilet seat, where he sexually assaulted her.
“Oyekanmi then ordered [the inmate] to gather up her clothes and bring them down to the laundry,” detectives wrote.
The court filings further reveal that Oyekanmi, who admitted to the sexual assault, posted a $20,000 bond and was released from custody.
However, Director of the Montgomery County Department of Correction and Rehabilitation, Robert Green, said Oyekanmi began working for the facility in December 2016, but is “no longer an employee of the department,” an employment status that changed on Wednesday.
Green said that after corrections officials learned of the inmate’s allegations, they cooperated with the police.
“We fully support investigations of this nature.
“It does not reflect the values of the men and women of the department who do this work every day. . . . We have great correctional officers,” Green said.
He disclosed that his agency has about 360 uniformed staff members across its facilities; adding that Oyekanmi underwent a background check before he was hired.
“Had there been any indication of such behavior, he wouldn’t have been hired,” Green said.