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Saturday, November 07, 2009
Ex-Inmate Files Civil Rights Suit
By Juan Carlos Rodriguez
Journal Staff Writer
A former inmate who says she was raped by a security officer at the Bernalillo County Juvenile Detention Center has filed a civil rights lawsuit against the county, the state and others.
The lawsuit alleges the officer, Paul Ramos, used his position of authority to "sexually exploit" the teen, violating her civil rights. The suit does not name her, but refers to her as "Stephanie D."
It also alleges that the county and New Mexico Children, Youth and Families Department were negligent in not protecting the girl, who was 16 at the time of the alleged rapes in 2007.
Also named in the lawsuit is Tom Swisstack, the detention center's director.
David Jaramillo, attorney for the teen, said CYFD was named "out of an abundance of caution" to make sure the right party was being sued. The detention center is run by Bernalillo County. The lawsuit was filed in state District Court in October but was moved to U.S. District Court last week .
According to a 2007 criminal complaint, the girl said Ramos contacted her in October of that year, after her release from the detention center. The complaint said he picked her up after work one day, took her to a motel and raped her. A few weeks later, the complaint said, he picked her up for lunch and raped her at his home.
She said after both times, Ramos threatened to cause problems with her probation if she told anyone.
Ramos, 30, was indicted in June by a Bernalillo County grand jury on six counts of criminal sexual penetration on a child, two counts of kidnapping, two counts of intimidating a witness and two counts of tampering with evidence.
Officials for Bernalillo County said Ramos was hired in January 2007 as a security officer and resigned in early December of that year.
Ramos is being held at the Bernalillo County Metropolitan Detention Center in lieu of a $50,000 cash or surety bond.
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