'Undercover' Texas Deputies to Accuse Superiors of Sexual Assault in Prostitution Stings
Three female Texas deputy constables are set to file a lawsuit Monday claiming they were sexually assaulted, exploited, and harassed by their superiors.
The women, all from the Harris County Precinct 1 Constable Office, were working on a task force to fight human trafficking at the time of the alleged assault.
The deputy constables say they were picked for "undercover operations" where their superiors used so-called "bachelor-party" prostitution stings to try to collar pimps running call girls, according to a news release from their attorneys cited by the Houston Chronicle.
The attempted stings are said to have turned into a "booze-fueled playground for sexual exploitation" in which the female deputies were subjected to "disgusting abuse," according to the statement from Houston attorneys Brock Akers, Cordt Akers and Bill Ogden.
The female deputies claim they were molested by their intoxicated male commanding officers during such undercover operations.
When the deputies raised concerns with their superiors, they were ridiculed, retaliated against and demoted to less prestigious assignments, the statement continues.
The lawsuit claims the department knew about the sexual misconduct but did nothing to stop it. It specifically names Precinct 1 Constable Alan Rosen, Assistant Chief Chris Gore and Lieutenant Shane Rigdon.
The plaintiffs are joined in the lawsuit by Jacquelyn Aluotto, who also worked with the task force and is an advocate for victims of human trafficking.
Aluotto alleges she shared her concerns with the Harris County District Attorney's Office, but the case wasn't pursued. When she reported the matter to the Precinct 1 Constable's Office's internal affairs division, she was fired the next day, according to the news release.
Rosen, who was first elected in 2012 to lead the constable's office, has made fighting human trafficking a priority of his tenure.
The Precinct 1 Constable Office said it was unfair to comment on something the department has so far been unable to review.
"We have not yet seen any lawsuit as nothing appears to have been filed as of this moment. We will comment as the timing becomes appropriate. If allegations are formally filed, we look forward to reviewing them and making sure the truth is revealed," Precinct 1 Constable's Office Spokesman Kevin Quinn told KPRC2.
"The truth will be revealed if this makes it to court, should it go that far," he later told the Houston Chronicle.
A news conference with several of the current and former deputies is planned for 9 a.m. Monday morning, shortly after the lawsuit is expected to be filed.
Newsweek has contacted the Harris County Sheriff's Office, the Precinct 1 Constable's Office, and attorneys Brock Akers, Cordt Akers and Bill Ogden for comment.
