Former Morgan County Deputy Sheriff Luke Davis Sentenced To Jail After Arrest For Sexually Abusing Female Inmate
FORT MORGAN, COLORADO (October 13, 2023) - A former Morgan County Deputy identified as Luke Davis has been sentenced to jail for allegedly sexually assaulting female inmate.
Morgan County officials are saying that the incident began last November. A female inmate reported she had been sexually assaulted by Luke Davis on numerous occasions.
The 29-year-old defendant was arrested back in January and faced two counts of unlawful sexual conduct inside a correctional facility. During an investigation, jail staff discovered that another woman made similar allegations.
Luke Davis was held at the Logan County jail and later released on $25,000 bond. In July, he was sentenced to 90 days in jail and five years probation.
Liability For Morgan County Jail Inmate Sexual Abuse
Sexual abuse within state and federal jails is unfortunately very common. According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics, “Correctional administrators reported 27,826 allegations of sexual victimization in 2018, a 14% increase from the 24,514 reported in 2015. Of the 1,673 substantiated incidents of sexual victimization in 2018, about 58% were perpetrated by other inmates and 42% by staff.” Female inmates are at the greatest risk of sexual victimization. There are many steps that jails should take in order to prevent sexual abuse.
- Jails should understand the factors that lead to sexual victimization and predation.
- Jails should properly monitor the correctional officers that they hire.
- Jails should typically not allow inmates to be left alone with jail officials.
Depending on the facts of any case a jail could be held liable for sexual abuse that is carried out at the hands of a correctional officer. In particular, a jail could be liable if they were grossly negligent in supervising an officer or deliberately indifferent to a known risk of harm. For example, a jail may have known that a correctional officer was likely abusing inmates and still failed to act. Victims of sexual abuse should take a number of steps in order to preserve their rights.
- A police report of the incident should be created.
- Eye witnesses should be interviewed.
- Medical records related to the assault should be preserved.
- An experienced civil rights attorney should be contacted.
Sexual abuse can be one of the most difficult things that most people will ever go through. Abuse can harm a person physically and leave them suffering from long-term psychological injuries. A large portion of the sexual abuse that takes place in state and federal prisons is preventable. Any person that is sexually abused by a correctional officer may have legal recourse through a civil claim.
Investigating Sexual Abuse At Morgan County Jail
We at Scott H. Palmer, P.C. extend our best wishes to all of the women who may have been harmed by the actions of Luke Davis. Any person that may have more information about what happened should speak with authorities. There are so many questions that still need to be answered about what took place. County officials should do the right thing and take concrete measures to help prevent other instances of abuse.
Have you or someone that you care about been sexually abused at Morgan County Jail? Our team of civil rights attorneys are here to help in any way that we can. We care deeply that inmates are aware of their rights and that sexual predators are held accountable for their actions. Whether you just have legal questions or need any type of support after any incident we are here for you. You can reach out to us anytime at 214-987-4100.