Bexar County Sheriff’s Office
A Bexar County Juvenile Detention officer accused of sexually assaulting a teenage inmate was arrested Wednesday.
The county sheriff Javier Salazar arrested Jasquel Jamal Spell, 23, after an inmate reported a possible inappropriate relationship between the detention officer and a 15-year-old girl. On one occasion, Spell removed the girl from her room forcing her to engage in "unlawful sexual acts," according to Kens5.
Officers say they found video surveillance that showed a sexual encounter between Spell and the inmate. Texas Juvenile Investigator officials reported that Spell confessed to the crime over the phone.
"The most tragic thing in this case is that somebody like Spell, in a position of authority for this young lady, was obviously there for her protection yet used that position to prey upon her," Salazar told the Express–News.
Salazar said further charges could be filed against the detention officer if officials find evidence of any other victims. Spell is in the Bexar County Jail waiting for a judge to set a bail.
Abuse against young inmates has been on the rise, according to ProPublica. A 2016 Justice Department Bureau survey found that nearly 10 percent of youth in detention centers have reported sexual abuse by either the staff or peers.
