Officer sexually abuses detainee in game of ‘Simon Says’ at Rikers Island, suit says
A correction officer was supposed to escort four women to their housing unit when he brought them to an office, locked the doors and made them play a “degrading” game of “Simon Says” at Rikers Island, according to a federal lawsuit.
The lawsuit filed by Jessica Brenner says officer Anthony Martin Jr. “played Simon” and ordered her and the other woman to engage in “sexual acts” at the Rose M. Singer Center, the women’s jail on Rikers Island in New York City, in June 2023, when Brenner was a detainee.
They “had no choice but to play,” as Martin was their supervising officer, according to the complaint filed Sept. 13.
Martin, 32, was charged with first-degree rape, first-degree sexual abuse, third-degree rape and second-degree unlawful imprisonment in connection with accusations that he sexually assaulted a woman at his home in March, the Queens District Attorney’s Office announced in an Aug. 26 news release.
He lured the woman there by pretending to be a TV producer, then locked her in his home and raped her, according to authorities.
Brenner’s lawsuit says the New York City Department of Corrections is to blame for the sexual abuse she endured — and for the reported rape earlier this year — because it didn’t take action after a female detainee, Karina Collado, accused Martin of sexual assault in 2021.
In an interview with the Gothamist, Collado detailed how Martin sexually assaulted her in a storage closet while she was detained at Rikers Island in 2020. She reported the assault to Rikers officials, but her complaint was never investigated, the outlet reported Aug. 8.
Brenner arrived at Rikers Island in May 2023, a month before she says she was sexually abused, and heard that multiple female detainees had accused Martin of sexual misconduct, according to her complaint.
Her lawsuit names Martin, former New York City Department of Correction Commissioner Louis Molina, the city of New York and Mayor Eric Adams as defendants. Molina was appointed commissioner of the New York City Department of Citywide Administrative Services in June.
DOC press secretary Annais Morales said in a statement to McClatchy News on Sept. 25 that “while the Department cannot comment on pending litigation, it should be noted that Anthony Martin has been suspended without pay since his arrest on April 2, 2024.”
“The NYC Department of Correction takes claims of sexual misconduct seriously, and such behavior will not be tolerated,” Morales said. “Allegations made against an employee or person in custody are investigated thoroughly, and if necessary, referred to outside agencies.”
The mayor’s office and Martin’s defense attorney in the criminal case, Steven Jared Gaitman, didn’t immediately respond to McClatchy News’ requests for comment Sept. 25.
A demand to say ‘nothing happened’
The complaint says that during Martin’s “Simon Says” game, Martin demanded that Brenner remove her pants and “twerk” and ordered another woman to “hump” her, the complaint says. He also ordered the woman to smack her on the buttocks, according to the complaint.
One of the three women who was in the room with Brenner reported what happened to a counselor, who reportedly alerted Martin’s supervising captain, the complaint says.
Martin approached Brenner a few days later, while she was with other detainees and on her way to synagogue services, according to the complaint.
He separated her from the group and “demanded that she write a statement saying nothing happened” during the Simon Says game, the complaint says.
She told him she would, but she didn’t, according to the complaint.
“Fearful and humiliated, she did not dare make a complaint about the sexual abuse,” the complaint says.
Martin has been named in other lawsuits filed by Collado and another woman detained at the Rose M. Singer Center, the Gothamist reported Sept. 3. The other woman also accused him of sexual assault.
There have been more than 700 lawsuits filed against New York City by people who reported they endured rape and sexual abuse at Rikers, an investigation by the Gothamist found.
“Only accountability will prevent rape and sexual assault,” attorney Leo Glickman, who represents Brenner, told McClatchy News on Sept. 25.
“When prisons cover up these incidents, they only invite more sex crime against vulnerable detained people,” Glickman said in an emailed statement.
The criminal case
Martin has pleaded not guilty to the charges against him in his criminal case, according to NBC News.
On March 26, a 20-year-old woman visited his home, believing that Martin was casting for a TV show and that others would be there, including other potential cast members, officials said.
Martin is accused of first reaching out to her on social media while posing as a television producer and director.
At his home, Martin was alone and stopped the woman from leaving after he started touching her leg, according to the Queens District Attorney’s Office.
“Martin blocked her exit, pulled down her pants and raped and otherwise sexually assaulted her,” officials said.
Afterward, she reported the assault to authorities and went to get medical help, according to officials.
Brenner, with her lawsuit against Martin, seeks an unspecified amount in damages and demands a jury trial.
“Even though city policymakers have long-known of the unconstitutional conditions at Rikers and risk of rape and sexual abuse of female detainees — from personal observations, prior lawsuits, public reports, governmental investigations, and the City’s own internal reports — City policymakers have utterly failed to take the necessary steps to remedy the conditions at Rikers,” the complaint says.
This story was originally published September 26, 2024 at 9:21 AM with the headline "Officer sexually abuses detainee in game of ‘Simon Says’ at Rikers Island, suit says."
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