A Durham County detention officer has been charged with sexual activity by a custodian, following the revelations that led to her arrest and immediate termination. Jade Shanicia Lanique Robertson, implicated in abusing her custodial position, was taken into custody yesterday under allegations that violate North Carolina law, according to a statement by the Durham County Sheriff's Office, as per the Durham County official website.
According to Durham County, Robertson, who served the facility as sergeant since September 2022, faced the charge of engaging in sex activity by a person having custody of a victim in a governmental institution—a class E felony. The Sheriff's Office had hired her back in October of 2019, and her climb to sergeant was apparently marred by the recent events. Sheriff Clarence F. Birkhead addressed the matter, expressing a clear dissociation between Robertson's alleged actions and the agency's standards. "This behavior is not indicative of the values of the men and women of this agency," Sheriff Birkhead said, "nor does it align with the training, policies, and procedures of the Durham County Sheriff's Office."
Following her arrest, Robertson was granted a conditional release; she was seen by a magistrate and subsequently released on a $25,000 unsecured bond. She was scheduled for a court appearance yesterday morning, providing the opportunity for judicial process to unfold.
