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Woman Claims Sheriff’s Deputy Made Her a ‘Sex Slave’

MIAMI (CN) - A sheriff's deputy used a prisoner-turned-informant as his "sex slave" for almost a year, raping her in and out of jail, sometimes "while she was shackled with handcuffs and leg irons," the woman claims in Federal Court. She says the repeated rapes "would not have been possible but for the assistance of other deputies."

The woman, D.W., says that though the deputy eventually pleaded guilty to sexual battery by a law enforcement officer, he was sentenced only to probation, without jail.

D.W. seeks punitive damages of more than $1 million from Okeechobee County, the Okeechobee County Sheriff's Office, and her alleged rapist, Okeechobee County Sheriff's Deputy Tommie Joe Brock., or negligent hiring, negligent retention and supervision, civil rights violations, sexual battery, false imprisonment and conspiracy.

"This case is about a nightmare," the complaint states. "Over an eight-month period between November 2008 and July 2009, Ms. [W] was used as a sex slave by T.J. Brock, then a detective and sergeant with the Okeechobee County Sheriff's Office. For the first half of the relevant period, Sheriff's Deputy Brock forced Ms. [W] to have sexual intercourse with him and to perform oral sex on him in exchange for Sheriff's Deputy Brock not violating Ms. [W's] probation. During the second half of the relevant time period, Ms. [W] was detained in the Okeechobee County Jail. Sheriff's Deputy Brock, who was not assigned to the jail, would have Ms. [W] removed and transferred to his office. On numerous occasions outside of the jail, he raped Ms. [W] while she was shackled with handcuffs and leg irons. Sheriff's Deputy Brock's rape of Ms. [W] would not have been possible but for the assistance of other deputies."

The plaintiff says the abuse began this way: "In November or December of 2008, Ms. [W], while detained at the Okeechobee jail, met with Deputy Brock. He explained to her that he could help her with her pending case if she would have sex with him and serve as a confidential informant for various investigations. The sex was coercive and not consensual, and accordingly, was rape. The rape occurred in Jack Hill's office. Deputy Brock called it her 'Christmas present.'

"Ms. [W] was released on January 6 2009. Deputy Brock drove Ms. [W] home to her mother's house.

"Between January 6, 2009 and April 2009, Deputy Brock raped Ms. [W] at least ten to fifteen times. Sometimes it was intercourse, other times she performed oral sex. During this period, Deputy Brock was using Ms. [W] as a confidential informant on various official sheriff's department investigations. By providing Deputy Brock with sex, and serving as a confidential informant, Deputy Brock promised to keep Ms. [W] out of jail and/or agreed to help her reduce her charges to avoid being charged as a habitual offender."

The plaintiff says she was jailed again in April 2009, and "on June 2, 2009, Ms. [W] was removed from County jail by a detention deputy. The detention deputy escorted Ms. [W] to Deputy Brock's office, where, while wearing handcuffs and leg shackles, she was vaginally raped by and forced to perform oral sex on Deputy Brock."

A month later, she says, she was taken from jail to Deputy Brock's office, where "Deputy Brock told Ms. [W] that she could use the phone to call her sick father if she performed oral sex on him. Deputy Brock ejaculated inside Ms. [W] mouth and ordered her to swallow his semen. She refused, and instead she spewed his semen onto a napkin taken from his office. She hid the semen-stained napkin on her person prior to Deputy Brock escorting her back to jail."

The complaint states: "The Okeechobee County Sheriff's Office knew about Deputy Brock's misconduct. He was a veteran deputy and was long suspected of having sex with juvenile and adult offenders in prison and providing alcohol and drugs to detainees. In fact, Deputy Brock, while on road patrol, detained Ms. [W] years earlier and offered to not arrest her for driving under the influence if she would only have sex with him. In his words, sex with him was better than jail. The County knew for decades that it had a problem officer, but did nothing. There were numerous complaints about him and the OSO conducted internal affairs investigations into his misconduct.

"Ms. [W] informed prison officials about being raped by Deputy Brock but they did nothing. Finally, Ms. [W], through a family connection, contacted the Federal Bureau of Investigation on or about June 12, 2009. The FBI interviewed Ms. [W] concerning the sexual assaults by Sheriff's Deputy Brock and then notified the OSO. Deputy Brock's last rape of Ms. [W] occurred on July 2 or 3, 2009, after the FBI interviewed Ms. [W]. The next day, the FBI again interviewed Ms. [W]. Ms. [W] obtained DNA evidence the [sic] proved, beyond peradventure, that Deputy Brock had sexual relations with her."

W says she gave the FBI the underwear she wore on June 2, 2009, the day of one rape, and the napkin she stowed away a month later.

"They were processed by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement's Fort Myers Crime Lab. FDLE analysis confirmed that both the panties and the napkin contained Deputy Brock's semen," according to the complaint.

"At all times throughout this nightmare, Deputy Brock was acting in his capacity as an Okeechobee County Sheriff's Deputy. At all times throughout and before this nightmare, the County knew about Deputy Brock's behavior. It is responsible for the violations of Ms. [W] civil rights," the complaint states.

Finally, W says, "Deputy Brock was charged with sexual battery by a law enforcement officer and sexual misconduct between detention facility employee and inmate. He pleaded guilty but was sentenced to probation only and was not incarcerated. For reasons that remain unknown, he was not charged with rape, battery or witness tampering despite proof beyond any doubt."

She is represented in Okeechobee County Court by Matthew Sarelson of Miami.

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