Riverside County officials have come under fire for offering bribes to several women, who were sexually assaulted by Correctional Deputy Christian Heidecker. According to three women, the offer was made just days before the Riverside County sheriff’s deputy was charged with sexual assault and extortion against women who were placed under home detention and supervised via electronic monitoring.
Officials got the women to accept payments of $1,000 to $2,000 as compensation, which according to their attorneys, was another way to abuse and exploit these victims. The women said they were forced into accepting the payments and dropping the charges, as they feared going back to jail if they turned down the offer.
One of the victims, a 36-year-old woman from Coachella Valley said, “I feel my rights were violated by Heidecker and then again by the county.” We agree wholeheartedly with her statement, but in order to understand this complex tale of neglect and deceit, let’s examine Heidecker’s treatment of the women he was monitoring for the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department.
While the conduct by Heidecker and Riverside County officials is shocking, these incidents are very common in prison systems throughout California. Inmate sexual abuse is unacceptable, and those who are subjected to it can seek justice through the criminal and civil courts. However, there are many hurdles that sexual assault victims need to overcome in order to sue the government. Our law firm is here to advise you of your rights and secure the compensation you deserve. Contact us today and schedule a free case review with a prison sexual abuse lawsuit attorney.
Christopher Heidecker’s History of Sexual Abuse against Female Inmates
Christopher Heidecker has been charged with 18 felonies for sexually abusing women that he was in charge of under an ankle monitoring program for Riverside County. This is a jail-alternative program, where women are released early and monitored through an electronic device.
The investigation on Heidecker began on August 31, and it was revealed that he engaged in inappropriate sexual conduct with at least several of the women he was monitoring. According to one woman, the deputy forced her to engage in sexually explicit conversations and send him photos of her feet. Another victim told a similar story of Heidecker’s relentless requests for photos and forcing her to answer sexually explicit questions.
The deputy was arrested on September 15, and toward the end of the month, he was charged with forcing several women into sex acts, extorting sexually graphic photos from them, and giving women more freedom for sending him sexually explicit material (bribery). Heidecker is currently in jail on a $1 million bond, but it’s clear that Riverside County made concerted efforts to deny justice to the women he assaulted.
Our Recent Verdicts and Settlements
$2.5 Million
$600,000
$1.5 Million
$54 Million
$525,000
$1.2 Million
Allegations against Riverside County Officials
Christopher Heidecker being in jail and waiting for his day in court should be the first step to providing justice for his victims. Unfortunately, officials in Riverside County were more concerned with freeing themselves of liability for his crimes.
Shortly before the deputy’s arrest, two women claim that they were called into the jail division program due to issues with their monitoring device. During this meeting, they were questioned about their accusations against Heidecker, then offered $1,000 by an attorney for the county and an internal affairs investigator. In exchange, they would have to sign an agreement that freed the county from liability for Heidecker’s actions.
Denisse Gastélum, an attorney for the women said, “They were buying off their silence. They told them they could speak to no one about it.”
When one of the women refused to sign, county officials applied pressure on her, even coming to her home to talk her into accepting the money. A similar story was told by a third victim, who said that she was called in on September 13th by two detectives and told that she could receive $1,000 if she signed a liability waiver.
She said, “I felt pressured to sign the document. When I said I needed to step out, they bumped it up to $2,000.”
Can Riverside County be Sued for Coercion and Misleading Sexual Assault Victims?
While the actions of Riverside County are deplorable, can they serve as grounds for a lawsuit against the county? We would say yes, based on the following elements:
- Though the women were not threatened into signing the documents, it was clear that they were pressured into it. When one of the women said she needed time to consider the $1,000 offer, they immediately bumped it up to $2,000. Another woman who declined the offer was approached by sheriff’s officials multiple times over a period of two days.
- The women were blindsided by being told that something was wrong with their ankle monitoring device. At the meeting, they were pressured to sign the document, when they should have been given the opportunity to think about the offer and/or seek legal counsel.
- The Sheriff’s Department clearly had the upper hand in this situation, as the women were afraid of going back to jail if they persisted with the case. While there was no verbal threat of being sent back to jail, any reasonable person would assume that this is the likely outcome if they refused to accept the settlement.
We believe there is a clear basis for a lawsuit here, and already, two claims have been filed against Riverside County by the victims of Christopher Heidecker. However, we believe that there are more victims out there who suffered at the hands of this predator. These women were also failed by the system that employed Heidecker, and then tried to manipulate them into signing away their legal rights.
If you are one of the women who suffered sexual assault, harassment, and other acts of abuse at a Riverside County prison, please take the time to learn about your rights from one of our attorneys. We know how scared you may be, and ultimately, you will have to decide for yourself if a lawsuit is the right way to move forward. What matters is that you made an informed choice, based on accurate advice from a lawyer with experience in sexual abuse claims against prison officials.
Speak to a Sexual Assault Lawsuit Attorney
Our legal team is comprised of attorneys with decades of experience in sex abuse cases involving government institutions. We know that these lawsuits are especially challenging, as government entities have certain protections that make it harder for abuse victims to hold them accountable. That’s why legal representation is essential if you are a current or former inmate of a prison system in the state of California.
We can help you put together a strong and compelling case if you are the victim of sexual assault, extortion, or any other form of abuse by the county officials. Then, we will fight to bring you the highest possible settlement from a lawsuit against Riverside County or any other entity that’s liable for the harm you’ve suffered.
Our law firm provides free case evaluations, no matter where you are in the legal process. That includes free second opinions on cases that are already in progress. If you decide to hire us for a sexual assault lawsuit, you pay nothing upfront under the Zero Fee Guarantee. We receive a portion of your settlement as payment, which only happens at the end of your case. In the event we fail to bring you a successful resolution, you pay absolutely nothing towards the cost of legal fees.
Don’t wait to contact our office and learn about the legal options that are available to you if you were sexually abused by Christian Heidecker or any other employee of the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department.
Other Pages on Our Website Related to This Topic
Day Spa Sexual Assault Lawyers
Nobu Malibu Hostess Sues for Sexual Harassment and Assault
I was Assaulted by My Landlord – What are My Rights?
