A former officer at the Craighead County Detention Center has been arrested on accusations of sexually assaulting a juvenile detainee after threatening her with prolonged incarceration.
Ashton Rose, the former detention officer, was taken into custody Tuesday on charges of second-degree sexual assault, a Class B felony. Rose is being held on a $25,000 cash or surety bond, according to Craighead County officials.
Court documents state that the alleged incident began when the juvenile inmate, who was scheduled to be released in less than a week, was playing cards near her cell door. After Rose reportedly took the cards from her, she retrieved them, prompting him to threaten to write a disciplinary report against her. Rose allegedly indicated such a report would extend her time in detention by 90 days.
According to the affidavit, Rose then implied he would not file the report if the detainee performed certain acts. The victim stated that when she asked what he meant, Rose demanded that she show her breasts and allow him to touch them. She said she reluctantly agreed.
On Sunday, July 26, Rose reportedly escorted the juvenile back to her cell after church. The affidavit alleges that during this time, she raised her top at Rose's instruction, and at one point, he inserted his arms into the cell door’s opening, known as a bean hole. Detention center surveillance cameras reportedly captured Rose with his arms inside the cell’s bean hole for approximately 18 seconds.
The affidavit states that during his interview, Rose admitted to inserting his arms into the cell.
Following an internal investigation into the allegations, Craighead County Sheriff Marty Boyd announced that Rose was terminated from his position on August 10. “Craighead County prosecuting attorneys reviewed the findings of the investigation and issued a warrant for sexual assault II,” Boyd confirmed in a statement. Rose was subsequently arrested and initially booked into the Craighead County Detention Center before being transferred to Greene County.
The investigation remains ongoing as Rose awaits his initial court appearance. Authorities have not released further details about the incident at this time.