An immigration official forced
Esmeralda (formerly Mayra), a transgender woman, to perform oral sex on him while she was in the custody of an Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention facility. The official later resigned and was sentenced to four months in jail. After reporting the abuse, Ms. Soto suffered various forms of retaliation and often feared for her life. Ms. Soto, who came to the U.S. seeking asylum, had also been raped by a male inmate while detained at a jail in her native Mexico. She currently resides in Southern California.
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Click to read other survivor storiesWhile in the custody of the Los Angeles County Jail, Frank suffered persistent harassment by corrections officers due to his being openly gay. After a particularly intense incident of verbal abuse, Frank attempted to defend himself by speaking out against the abuse. In response, the offending officer threatened to hurt Frank, and later acted on those threats. Frank was digitally raped and severely brutalized, left naked and bloodied in his cell. He has filed formal complaints and continues to seek justice.
Michael was wrongfully convicted for the rape of his high school math tutor when he was only 16 years old and spent more than 24 years behind bars at the Louisiana State Penitentiary at Angola. On multiple occasions, corrections officers handcuffed Mr. Williams to the bars of his cell door, allowing other inmates to sexually assault him. Mr. Williams was exonerated in 2005 with the assistance of the Innocence Project.
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Michelle is a 62 year old, transgender woman who was arrested in late 2006 and placed in the men’s wing of the Los Angeles County Jail. At the time of her arrest, she had very limited mobility. During Michelle’s confinement, she was denied the use of her wheelchair. Other detainees were prohibited from helping Michelle and she was forced to move about without assistance, falling on multiple occasions. One day while in the shower, she was surrounded and threatened with rape by four other inmates. The attempted sexual assault was interrupted when Michelle’s partner entered the shower and was able to fend off the would-be assailants. Michelle has been released and resides in Hollywood, CA.