Update: Trial Begins for Garland Co. Deputy Arrested in Alleged Sexual Assault of Woman Inmate
By: Lauren Trager, KARK 4 News
Updated: October 9, 2012
A former deputy with the Garland County Sheriff's Office is on trial for the alleged 2011 sexual assault of a woman being held in the county jail.
In today's proceedings, the jury was seated this morning in the case against Garvin Todd Reid, and opening arguments started this afternoon. The trial will continue tomorrow.
Original story (February 8, 2011):
A detention officer in Garland County is accused of sexually assaulting a female inmate. This morning, that deputy pleads not guilty in court.
Already, he has been stripped of his badge and has been fired from the Sheriff's Office.
"It's disheartening to anyone in the Sheriff's office when allegations like this occur," said Sgt. Joel Ware.
Sgt. Joel Ware says he got a call Sunday, an inmate here at the county jail said she had been raped.
Her attacker, she says: detention Deputy Garvin Todd Reid.
"These allegations are serious and inmate or not we are going to take them as such," said Sgt. Ware.
Sgt. Ware says the inmate is allowed out of her cell, trusted to work around the jail.
An arrest affadavit says she was inside this supply room off the jail's break room when, she claims, Deputy Reid came up behind her and raped her.
He only stopped, she says, when someone else came into the breakroom.
"We are not going to tolerate it and actions are going to come swift," said Sgt. Ware.
Reid was arrested almost immediately after the inmate reported the incident to other jail staff.
We went to Reid's listed address Tuesday after he posted bond, but no one answered the door.
"It's a black mark against all law enforcement. And we certainly don't like that, we are just going to have to move forward the best we can and hope that we keep the trust of the public," Sgt. Ware said.
The arrest affidavit says Reid admitted the two did have contact but that the inmate was touching and kissing him.
He did not report this to anyone at the jail though.
Reid had only been a detention officer for about five months.
The Sheriff's Office says they do very thorough background checks on their officers. They say sometimes though, people slip through the cracks.
Reid will next be in court in March and of course, we'll stay on top of it for you.
