Shelby County Jail is facing scrutiny after the accidental release of Cameron Brooks, 23, a convicted rapist who was supposed to be held for an 11-year sentence. According to a statement from the Shelby County Sheriff's Office obtained by Action News 5, Brooks was released due to a processing issue where his paperwork failed to show a legal hold for the charge he pled guilty to.
Mistakenly freed on Wednesday, Brooks had pleaded guilty the day before to an aggravated rape charge from 2022. Local Memphis reported that the release was due to a paperwork oversight by Shelby County Information Technologies, separate from the sheriff’s office.
Brooks was originally in custody for 2022 charges of abuse against a child under eight and aggravated child abuse of a child under six. After pleading guilty to a lesser charge in June 2025, he was to serve two years, already been accounted for. FOX13 reported that later in 2025, he was indicted on aggravated rape and aggravated assault, resulting in an 11-year sentence.
Several agencies addressed the error. The Shelby County Sheriff’s Office said, ‘Jail staff acted appropriately and lawfully based on the information available.’ Fugitive Unit deputies from Shelby County IT should have placed a hold due to Brooks’ second aggravated rape charge. Efforts are underway to locate and return him to custody, though his whereabouts remain unknown.
In September, a deputy mistakenly let inmate Anthony Green, who pleaded guilty to murder, go free because of a paperwork delay. He is still at large, and the sheriff’s office has not commented on any connection to the Brooks case.
