Two Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office jailers have been arrested after authorities claim they sexually assaulted a female detainee.
James Ferguson, 18, of White Hall, and Lafarius Hoskins, 25, of Conway, have been charged with third-degree sexual assault of a female detainee regarding the incident in question.
Witnesses described an abuse of power whereby the female inmate stood on a table at the jail and did a striptease. The victim then entered a nearby restroom where the sexual assault was alleged to have occurred.
“Detention center surveillance footage appears to support portions of witnesses’ accounts but not the alleged sexual assault,” Woods added.
Department detectives interviewed Ferguson and Hoskins separately before having them arrested. Both have been put on paid administrative leave until the completion of the investigation.
Arkansas state law stipulates that a third-degree sexual assault charge is warranted if the jailer “engages in sexual intercourse or deviate sexual activity” with an inmate.
Ferguson and Hoskins were held overnight at the Jefferson County jail without bail on Sunday.
