A former St. Lawrence County Jail kitchen supervisor pleaded not guilty to a 16-count sex crime indictment in St. Lawrence County Court on Thursday. The New York attorney general’s office has brought numerous misdemeanor and felony counts against the worker, who investigators say committed sex crimes against multiple inmates at the jail.
43-year-old Jennifer Parker has been indicted on three counts of felony third-degree rape based on allegations that she engaged in sexual intercourse with an inmate three times between September 2011 and November 2011 while she was an employee of the St. Lawrence County Jail. She is accused of having sexual contact with three inmates on several occasions between 2011 and 2014. All three of these inmates were directly under Parker’s supervision as workers in the kitchen jail.
Parker has also been charged with five counts of felony third-degree criminal sexual act, one count of misdemeanor promoting prison contraband, two counts of misdemeanor forcible touching and five counts of misdemeanor official misconduct.
Attorney contributor Guy D'Andrea helps the victims of sexual assault find justice in civil lawsuits. We’ve asked him for some thoughts on the legal rights of inmates who have been sexually assaulted by jail or prison employees:
In cases of sexual abuse and assault, the perpetrator is often someone in a position of authority over their victims. These sexual predators exploit their authority in order to commit heinous crimes. The correctional system is one area where we regularly see this when prison guards and other staff members sexually abuse inmates. These inmates have rights and deserve justice for the trauma they’ve suffered after being sexually assaulted by prison staff.
When a prison employee sexually assaults inmates, the victims may have grounds for a lawsuit. This is often the best course for justice as many survivors of prison and jail sexual assault struggle to find justice in criminal courts. If you or a loved one has been sexually assaulted as an inmate, you can learn more about your legal options by speaking to an experienced sexual assault survivors lawyer.