RICHMOND, Texas – A Fort Bend County Sheriff’s Department employee with more than four years of service is now charged with improper sexual relationship with an inmate.
Authorities said Monday that Nathan Carr, 31 -- a FBCSO civilian detention officer -- was removed from contact with inmates on Jan. 7 around 12:45 p.m. after an inmate came forward and told a sheriff’s department employee about what was happening between Carr and another inmate.
Fort Bend County Sheriff Eric Fagan said the gender of the victim has not been released and “shouldn’t matter,” though added that the information would eventually be released.
Fort Bend authorities said Carr was removed from contact with inmates and “admitted to his inappropriate conduct” and was arrested on Saturday at 9 p.m. and was relieved of duty without pay.
Fort Bend County Assistant District Attorney Lester Blizzard noted that state law considers this kind of contact a felony because there is no such thing as consensual sex in this situation due to the nature of the inmate and detention officer relationship.
Carr is in custody on a $35,000 bond, according to Blizzard.
Improper sexual relationship with an inmate is punishable of up to 2 years in prison and a $10,000 fine, Fagan said.
Fagan said an investigation is underway and that Carr knew the facility had cameras.
“We do have cameras in the jail and we have policies to prevent that but you have to realize, we’re talking about human beings,” he said. “You can have policies and cameras but that individual broke that policy. That individual is to blame, not our policies or the cameras.”
Fagan said bi-annual training will be provided on this kind of thing, as well as posters to be hung describing the crime and its penalties.