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Lawsuit Claims Ferguson Correctional Officer Raped Pregnant Woman

The 29-year-old officer has since been fired and arrested on suspicion of having sex with a prisoner, allowing escape and corruption.

A federal lawsuit was recently filed against Ferguson, Mo., and its police officers after a correctional officer allegedly raped a pregnant woman who was in his custody, the Huffington Post reports.

The victim, a nurse identified by the initials J.W., recently accused 29-year-old Jaris Hayden of the crime, which she claims occurred in October 2013.

Officers arrested Hayden last Wednesday on suspicion of having sex with a prisoner, allowing escape and corruption. He was released on $10,000 cash bail.

According to the civil suit, Hayden arrested the victim for driving with an expired license and giving a false name. The officer allegedly made numerous sexual advances to J.W., like telling her she “smelled good” and “You’re the type of girl that can get me in trouble," while booking her into the city of Ferguson jail.

Hayden later led J.W. to the jail’s boiler room and instructed her to perform two sexual acts, including intercourse, which she says she did out of fear. The victim was able to procure some of the officer’s pubic hair, which DNA analysis confirmed to be the suspect’s, Huffington Post reports.

Afterwards, he instructed the victim to “run and stay close to the building” to avoid being filmed by security cameras. The suit also claims that he told her “words to the effect of: ‘Tell anyone who asks that Wellston picked you up.’”

Bevis Schock, the woman’s attorney, reportedly said the civil rights suit against Ferguson alleges “a pattern of misconduct amounting to a policy,” and that he would be following the Justice department’s investigation into the city and the fatal Aug. 9 police shooting of 18-year-old Michael Brown.

Meanwhile, the city issued a statement about the incident that said, “Immediately upon learning of the complaint against Mr. Hayden, the city undertook an investigation which resulted in Mr. Hayden’s termination from employment.”

Hayden has entered a plea of not guilty, his lawyer, Scott Rosenblum, told reporters.

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(Photo: St. Louis Jail)

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