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Domestic violence victim says sheriff’s investigator demanded sex
LA County Oct 04, 2022
| Photo courtesy of Tingey Injury Law Firm/Unsplash
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A woman is suing Los Angeles County for at least $7 million, alleging a sheriff’s deputy coerced her into having sex by stating he would not take her domestic violence case to prosecutors unless she had sex with him.
The woman’s Los Angeles Superior Court lawsuit also names as defendants the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department and Deputy Daniel Rodriguez. The complaint alleges civil rights violations, sexual battery, battery and both intentional and negligent infliction of emotional distress.
An LASD representative did not immediately reply to a request for comment on the suit brought Monday.
According to the complaint, Rodriguez was assigned to investigate the woman’s claim last December that her “significant other” treated her as a “sex slave” and physically abused her. The woman relied on and trusted Rodriguez as a person in a position of authority given that he was the investigating detective in her case, the suit states.
“Rodriguez then coerced plaintiff into having a sexual relationship with him,” according to the suit, which describes the encounters as “commercial sex acts.”
Rodriguez told the woman he would not take her domestic violence case to the District Attorney’s Office for prosecution of her significant other unless she had sex with him, the suit states.
“Plaintiff felt that she had to engage in the sexual relationship in order to ensure her safety and for her case to go forward,” according to the suit.
Rodriguez further enticed the plaintiff into engaging into sex acts with him by providing her food, alcohol and cash as well as through assurances he would keep her safe, the suit states.
When the woman resisted during one such alleged sexual encounter at a hotel on Jan. 9, Rodriguez used force to make her go through with the act, the suit alleges.
“Plaintiff felt that she had no choice but to commit the sexual act with Deputy Rodriguez,” according to the suit, which also states that the woman has suffered severe emotional distress.
