A Southern Indiana prosecutor has filed more criminal charges related to federal lawsuits against a county sheriff and jail officers.
Jordan Parker Sykes, who was incarcerated at the Clark County Jail in October, is facing felony and misdemeanor theft charges. County Prosecutor Jeremy Mull says Sykes is accused of stealing a police radio and a set of jail keys.
According to the News and Tribune, the affidavit says Sykes took the keys from an office area of the jail on Oct. 23. It says surveillance footage caught Sykes “rummaging” around an officer’s desk.
That’s the same night 28 incarcerated women say they were assaulted or raped by men who bought an officer’s keys to access the female jail pods.
The women have filed two federal civil lawsuits against Clark County Sheriff Jamey Noel, unknown jail officers and former corrections officer David Lowe, who allegedly sold keys for $1,000.
Lowe and Sykes are the only two people who are facing criminal charges related to the incident so far.
Lowe’s criminal trial is scheduled for later this year. He’s charged with aiding escape, trafficking with an inmate and official misconduct.
John Boyle is a corps member with Report For America, a national service program that places journalists into local newsrooms. John’s coverage of Southern Indiana is funded, in part, by the Caesars Foundation of Floyd County, Community Foundation of Southern Indiana and Samtec, Inc.
