Guadalupe County’s jail is under an unforgiving spotlight after three detention officers were accused of having improper sexual contact with a person in custody, leading to two arrests and a third officer now wanted. At the request of the sheriff, the Texas Rangers have taken over the criminal investigation, and county officials say two employees have been fired while another has been placed on administrative leave. The case is already rattling Seguin and the wider San Antonio metro.
According to a sheriff’s office release reported by News 4 San Antonio, the investigation opened on July 7 and concluded that three detention staff members "violated the civil rights of a person in custody by engaging in improper sexual activity with a person in custody or under supervision." The county identified the officers as Detention Officer Andrew Kee, Detention Officer Isaiah Charles and Corporal Detention Officer Rudy Garcia. Texas Rangers obtained arrest warrants for all three. Kee and Charles were located and booked into the Guadalupe County Adult Detention Center, and officials said arrangements have been made to take Garcia into custody at a later time.
Sheriff Joshua Ray, in a statement to News 4 San Antonio, said, "I have zero tolerance for this type of misconduct in the Guadalupe County Sheriff’s Office." The sheriff’s office has emphasized that the criminal probe is still active and that questions about the investigation should be directed to the Texas Department of Public Safety public information officer in San Antonio.
Similar arrests draw statewide scrutiny
The Guadalupe County case is landing at a time when Texas correctional agencies are already under pressure over similar allegations. Earlier this month, two former correctional officers at Hospital Galveston were arrested and charged with Civil Rights Violation/Improper Sexual Activity with a person in custody, a second degree felony, according to reporting by the Houston Chronicle. As in Guadalupe County, those Galveston cases were referred for criminal review after internal investigations and were followed by swift administrative action from supervisors.
What the rules require
Federal Prison Rape Elimination Act, or PREA, standards ban sexual abuse by staff and require agencies to prevent, detect and refer allegations for criminal investigation, while also providing safety, medical care and support services for victims. The Department of Justice’s national PREA rules spell out expectations for staff training, internal and external reporting, evidence collection and independent audits that jails are supposed to follow whenever staff sexual misconduct is alleged. The PREA National Standards also require detailed documentation of protective measures and steps taken to guard against retaliation.
What’s next in Guadalupe County
With arrest warrants issued, the next phase typically involves prosecutors reviewing evidence and deciding whether to seek formal charges through a grand jury or by direct filing of indictments. The Guadalupe County Sheriff’s Office says it is cooperating with the Texas Rangers and that administrative steps have already been taken to keep the accused officers separated from detainees while the probe moves forward. Officials have declined to release additional details, citing the active investigation.
