Hays County Corrections Officer John Duran was arrested Thursday night and charged with Official Oppression — a Class A Misdemeanor — and Tampering with a Governmental Record — a State Jail Felony. Hays County Sheriff Anthony Hipolito held a press conference Friday morning in which he explained that Duran “used his power and his position” as a means to take advantage of an inmate. This prompted the department to look further into his background, which revealed other offenses made at his previous department of employment.
According to a press release issued by the Sheriff’s Department, on April 4, a Hays County corrections supervisor was notified by an inmate that she was a victim of sexual misconduct by Duran. An internal investigation immediately began, and measures were taken to ensure Duran no longer had contact with any female inmate, especially the victim.
“What he essentially did in one of the instances is after ‘wrack up’ — what ‘wrack up’ means is after they go to bed, they are supposed to stay in their bunks; he essentially woke the victim up and encouraged her to get in the shower, and he used his computer screen because there’s a camera above the shower,” Hipolito said. “He essentially watched her shower. Whether she agreed to it or not, it doesn’t matter.”
