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Jailer charged with sex crimes after ‘numerous complaints’ from inmates, Georgia cops say

A former jailer is charged with rape and other crimes following an investigation into complaints of sexual assault inside a Georgia jail, state investigators said.
A former jailer is charged with rape and other crimes following an investigation into complaints of sexual assault inside a Georgia jail, state investigators said. Fresno Bee Staff Photo

“Numerous” inmate complaints led to sex crimes charges against a former Georgia jailer, state investigators say.

Steven Williams, 60, was arrested and charged with multiple crimes — including four counts of aggravated sexual battery — following an investigation into reports of sexual assault inside the Calhoun County Jail, according to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.

Agents said Williams was working as a jailer at the south Georgia lockup at the time of the alleged assaults.

The GBI launched an investigation into Williams in October, at the request of the Calhoun County Sheriff’s Office, the agency said in an Nov. 18 news release.

McClatchy News reached out to the sheriff’s office for comment on Nov. 19 but didn’t immediately receive a response.

State investigators said the complaints against Williams came from inmates detained at the jail.

The ex-jailer was arrested Nov. 15 on charges of rape, aggravated sodomy, sexual battery, aggravated sexual battery and improper sexual contact by employee, agents said.

Williams was taken to the Mitchell County Jail.

Authorities didn’t release additional details but said the investigation is ongoing.

Calhoun County is about a 70-mile drive southeast from Columbus.

If you have experienced sexual assault and need someone to talk to, call the National Sexual Assault Hotline for support at 1-800-656-4673 or visit the hotline's online chatroom.

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This story was originally published November 19, 2024 at 10:27 AM with the headline "Jailer charged with sex crimes after ‘numerous complaints’ from inmates, Georgia cops say."

Tanasia Kenney
Sun Herald
Tanasia is a service journalism reporter at the Charlotte Observer | CharlotteFive, working remotely from Atlanta, Georgia. She covers restaurant openings/closings in Charlotte and statewide explainers for the NC Service Journalism team. She’s been with McClatchy since 2020.
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