Newark Corrections officer gets 25 year prison sentence

Essex County Correctional Facility

According to the feds.."A former corrections officer with the Essex County Correctional Facility was sentenced today to 300 months in prison for sexually assaulting a pretrial detainee and then lying about it to investigators, U.S. Attorney Paul J. Fishman, District of New Jersey, and Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Vanita Gupta, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, announced.

Shawn D. Shaw, 42, of Newark, was previously convicted of both counts of an indictment charging him with depriving an individual of rights under color of law and obstruction of justice following a seven-day trial before U.S. District Judge Esther Salas. The jury deliberated for two days before returning the guilty verdict. Judge Salas imposed the sentence today in Newark federal court.

“The defendant’s conduct in this case is especially abhorrent considering his role as a public servant overseeing the safety and well-being of the prisoners in his charge,” U.S. Attorney Fishman said. “His sentence appropriately reflects the serious nature of his crime and the government’s intolerance of such criminal behavior by those who wear a badge.”

“The defendant abused his position of power to exploit a vulnerable individual whom he was tasked with protecting,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Gupta.  “While no amount of jail time can undo the harm he caused, I am hopeful that this sentence will provide some level of resolution to the victim who had the strength and resolve to report the assault.”    

According to documents filed in this case and the evidence at trial:

Shaw was the only officer on duty in the female unit during the night of a snow blizzard on Dec. 28, 2010. During the night, Shaw made sexually explicit comments to the victim. Although she rejected his advances, records show that in the middle of the night, Shaw opened the victim’s cell door. The victim testified that Shaw entered her cell, and despite her saying “stop” and “no,” Shaw raped her. Expert testimony, including DNA analysis, corroborated the victim’s testimony that Shaw was her assailant.

When investigators questioned Shaw about the attack, he lied and intentionally omitted information from his statement in order to obstruct the investigation. Shaw falsely stated that he did not make sexual comments to the detainee or enter the victim’s cell.

In addition to the prison term, Judge Salas sentenced Shaw to five years of supervised release and ordered him to pay restitution of $6,000 to the victim.

U.S. Attorney Fishman credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Timothy Gallagher in Newark, with the investigation leading to today’s sentencing. He also thanked the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Acting Prosecutor Carolyn A. Murray, for its assistance."

I always said, you can not allow a male to watch a female and vice versa. Events like this are bound to happen and it does not have to happen like this. 

What can he expect in federal prison? I was in seven institutions meeting all kind of criminals. Here is my story...https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B011GTWLOG