Corrections officer pleads guilty to sexually assaulting inmate at L.A. jail

A corrections officer pleaded responsible Tuesday to sexually assaulting a girl who was in custody at a downtown Los Angeles jail in December 2020.

Jose Viera, 49 of Monterey Park, pleaded responsible in federal court docket to 1 felony depend of deprivation of rights beneath shade of legislation, the US Legal professional’s Workplace for the Central District of California mentioned in a information launch.

Viera was a Federal Bureau of Prisons corrections officer assigned to work at Metropolitan Detention Heart-Los Angeles, a federal jail that holds female and male pre-trial detainees and other people serving custodial sentences. He was required to uphold the Structure and make sure the security and safety of individuals housed on the detention heart, the U.S. Legal professional’s Workplace mentioned.

Viera was positioned on administrative depart in March.

He admitted that in December 2020 he was assigned to oversee incarcerated ladies who have been quarantined because of COVID-19 publicity and an infection. On the morning of Dec. 20, Viera entered the cell of the sufferer, who was in COVID-19 isolation, as he had accomplished on earlier events to convey her breakfast.

“As a substitute, Viera admitted that he laid down subsequent to the sufferer in her mattress, sandwiching her between his physique and the wall,” the information launch states. “Then, he sexually assaulted the sufferer, inflicting her ache and placing her in worry of bodily hurt.”

Viera dedicated the assault regardless of realizing that the sufferer didn’t consent and that his actions violated her constitutional rights, in accordance with the U.S. Legal professional’s Workplace.

When the FBI and the Division of Justice’s Workplace of the Inspector Normal performed a voluntary interview of Viera concerning the sexual assault allegations, he lied to federal brokers about his misconduct, officers mentioned.

“Regulation enforcement officers have an obligation to guard the civil rights of all Individuals, and a failure to uphold this principal will probably be met with decisive motion,” U.S. Legal professional Tracy L. Wilkison mentioned in written assertion. “Mr. Viera has admitted sexually abusing a girl whereas performing beneath the colour of his legislation enforcement authority. His conduct undermined the integrity of our justice system and had a detrimental impact on the high-quality work usually carried out by his fellow correctional officers.”

A sentencing listening to has been scheduled for March 13, 2023, at which era Viera will face a statutory most penalty of 10 years in federal jail.

“Mr. Viera used his place of authority to sexually assault a sufferer who was beneath his care and who ought to have felt safe in his presence,” FBI Assistant Director in Cost Kristi Okay. Johnson mentioned. “Right this moment’s responsible plea is welcome in that Mr. Viera has taken accountability for his actions, a transfer that can function a deterrent for such habits by anybody ready of energy inside jail partitions.”

This case was investigated by the L.A. area places of work of the FBI and the DOJ’s Workplace of the Inspector Normal.