KANSAS CITY, MO. - A former individual who worked in private prisoner transport was given a nine-year prison sentence in federal court in the Western District of Missouri, the Department of Justice reports. This was due to their violation of a female pretrial detainee's civil rights by sexually assaulting her. After serving the prison term, they will also be under three years of supervised release.
Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division said the prison transport driver sexually abused and violently assaulted the woman under his custody. Clarke says he abused his authority and violated the survivor's constitutional right to bodily integrity.
According to the Department of Justice, Rogeric Hankins, aged 37, was employed as a private prisoner transport officer for Inmate Services Corporation during the time of the offense. Hankins, in his role as a private prisoner transport officer, carried out the task of collecting individuals who had been arrested on out-of-state warrants and returning them to the jurisdictions that had issued the warrants.
On March 31, 2020, Hankins transported a female pretrial detainee from a jail in Olympia, Washington, to a jail in St. Paul, Minnesota.
Click here for the latest news updates and to join in the conversation.On April 3, 2020, prior to reaching Minnesota, Hankins made a stop at a rest stop in Joplin, Missouri while driving the transport van. Hankins accompanied the individual to the rest stop in order to access the restroom facilities. After the individual used a bathroom designated for women, Hankins directed her to enter a bathroom designated for men and instructed her to choose the stall that was farthest from the entrance.
Once inside the stall, Hankins attempted to lift the victim's shirt. The individual resisted and requested Hankins to cease. In response, Hankins instructed the victim to remain silent and compelled her to engage in a sexual act with him. Hankins then raped the victim while she was positioned over a toilet seat.
Clarke said this sentence indicates that the Justice Department is dedicated to safeguarding victims of sexual violence perpetrated by law enforcement officials. She also stated the accountability of individuals in law enforcement remains unchanged, regardless of the privatization of positions, and that it is important to hold private officials accountable if they violate federal civil rights laws.
The case was investigated by the FBI Minneapolis Field Office, with assistance from the Ramsey County Sheriff's Office.
The case was prosecuted by Trial Attorney Laura Gilson and former Special Litigation Counsel Fara Gold of the Civil Rights Division's Criminal Section, with assistance from the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Western District of Missouri.
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