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54-year-old Gregory Rodriguez, a retired women’s prison guard, was arrested on May 24, 2023, after he was suspected of r*ping over a dozen inmates. According to jail records, Rodriguez has been charged with about 96 counts, mostly related to r*pe and violent s*x crimes. The convict reportedly worked at the Central California Women’s Facility in Chowchilla from 2010 to 2022.
Trigger warning: The article contains references to r*pe and s*x crimes. Readers’ discretion is advised.
According to authorities, the charges were based on an investigation that began in July 2022, and the initial findings came out in December. As of now, it is unclear whether or not Gregory Rodriguez has a lawyer to speak on his behalf.
Prosecutors have claimed that the alleged assaults on the prison inmates by Rodriguez began in 2014, but most cases took place in the last two years. They further confirmed that the charges against him involved 22 separate victims. However, investigating officers are trying to find out whether more victims are possible.
Former prison guard Gregory Rodriguez was accused of s*xually harassing and r*ping the inmates since 2014
Gregory Rodriguez, who was arrested on Wednesday, currently faces accusations of r*ping several female inmates while he was working at the facility for over a decade. Most of the incidents reportedly took place over the past two years. Based on the allegations, Gregory Rodriguez has been charged with around 96 counts, mostly based on violent s*x crimes and r*pe.
The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation’s Office of Internal Affairs conducted an investigation last year in July. Shortly after being approached by investigating officers, Gregory retired. After the initial findings were revealed in December of the same year, the law enforcement officials worked with the Madera County district attorney’s office to file charges against the 54-year-old convict.
District Attorney Sally Moreno described the allegations and said:
“In the recent history here in Madera, this is the largest case of its kind. These allegations do not reflect on the majority of corrections officers. The removal and arrest of this defendant encourage them to do their job of honorably upholding the law.”
Rodriguez is currently booked in the Madera County Jail, and a bail of $7.8 million has been set. His arraignment was scheduled for Friday in Madera County Superior Court. If convicted, the defendant could face over 300 years behind bars. Although authorities have identified more than 22 victims, Moreno believes there could be more. According to Corrections and Rehabilitation Secretary Jeff Macomber,
“The department resolutely condemns any staff member, especially a peace officer, who violates their oath and shatters the trust of the public.”
The s*xual abuse charges that Gregory Rodriguez faces include sodomy, r*pe, s*xual battery, and r*pe under color of authority. A detailed complaint against Rodriguez claims that he abused the inmates throughout the facilities at different times. This included abusing them before and after court appearances, in the parole hearing area, and in clinics. The district attorney’s office also confirmed that Rodriguez faces a drug-related charge, i.e., in respect to carrying heroin into the jail.
Two victims also filed lawsuits against Gregory Rodriguez back in December 2022, reporting similar allegations
According to state Senator Lola Smallwood-Cuevas,
“Twenty-two women came forward, and we know when women come forward, there are often women and other victims who don’t.”
Cuevas further stated that the victims constitute over 1% of the entire inmate population at the facility. Colby Lenz, an advocate with the California Coalition for Women Prisoners, said:
“If one officer is getting away with this for more than a decade, he is backed up by other officers and by the system, which is not only allowing the culture of s*xual violence to continue but condoning it. This is not just one bad apple.”
Two victims, who haven’t been identified, have also filed lawsuits against Gregory Rodriguez, accusing him of s*xually assaulting them in jail. Amila Mota, the executive director of the Sister Warriors Freedom Coalition, said that the survivors are constantly “under threat.” Mota further stated:
“It’s horrific and extremely isolating, and there is nowhere safe to turn inside.”
On Thursday, a CDCR spokesperson stated that any kind of retaliation against the survivor or anybody who reports these allegations would be not tolerated. A law was passed in 2003 that came to be known as the Prison R*pe Elimination Act, which created a “zero tolerance” policy for the s*xual assault and abuse of inmates.
Several cases have recently come to the limelight where inmates were s*xually abused inside many juvenile prisons in Los Angeles. In addition, many former prison officers in New Jersey and Kentucky have been charged with s*xually assaulting and abusing the incarcerated people.
