Jailer accused of having inappropriate sexual encounter with Georgia inmate
A deputy accused of having “inappropriate sexual contact” with a Georgia inmate is out of a job and facing criminal charges, officials said.
Austin Cole Sluder, 27, landed behind bars after state officials reportedly investigated allegations of sexual assault against him.
Now, Sluder is facing charges of “violation of oath of office by a public officer and improper sexual contact,” according to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation. Officials in a March 29 news release didn’t list attorney information for him.
The Douglas County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release Sluder was hired in May and finished training in September. He then worked in the Atlanta-area department’s jail division.
After he was sworn in as a deputy, the sheriff’s office said an inmate alleged that Sluder took nude pictures of her in July. The case was transferred to the Office of Professional Standards.
“The complaint was investigated and although the investigation concluded that Sluder took his cell phone into the cell block, OPS could not determine with certainty that Sluder used it to photograph the female inmate,” officials said.
Sluder was temporarily dismissed from the force in October before another inmate reported that “Sluder forced her to perform oral sex on him while she was in custody.” Those allegations were sent to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.
In an email to McClatchy News, the state agency said Sluder was fired from the sheriff’s office. Sluder, a Douglasville resident, was also arrested and taken to the Douglas County jail.
In Georgia, people can be accused of improper sexual contact if they have encounters with inmates, students or patients at their workplaces, according to a RAINN document updated in March 2020.
“As long as you follow the law and my policy I will back you 110%; however, if you step outside the law or the policy you are on your own,” Douglas County Sheriff Tim Pounds said in his department’s release. “If you violate the law, you, like everyone else will have to suffer the consequences of your actions.”
The sheriff’s office didn’t immediately respond to McClatchy News’ request for additional information on April 1.
As of March 29, state officials said the investigation was ongoing. Anyone with information is urged to call them at 770-388-5019 or share anonymous tips at 800-597-8477, gbi.georgia.gov/submit-tips-online or on the See Something, Send Something smartphone app.
This story was originally published April 1, 2022 at 9:10 AM with the headline "Jailer accused of having inappropriate sexual encounter with Georgia inmate."
