A man who used to work for a private company transporting inmates across state lines pleaded guilty to kidnapping and sexually assaulting a male detainee, federal officials said Wednesday.
Dewayne Dudley pleaded guilty in federal court in the Northern District of Oklahoma to violating a man’s civil rights by sexually assaulting and kidnapping him in Missouri and Oklahoma, the Justice Department said in a news release.
According to the plea agreement, the 56-year-old worked for a private company that provides transportation services for correctional, government and institutional facilities.
On Aug. 26, 2021, he picked up the detainee from a jail in Boonville, Ind., to transport him to Valencia, N.M. Before arriving at his final destination, however, Dudley rented a room at a Holiday Inn Express in Marshfield, Mo., and told the victim to take a shower.
After the shower, Dudley pointed a gun at the victim and groped his genitals. He later handcuffed himself to the victim before going to sleep.
Several hours later, Dudley resumed transporting the victim before stopping at his apartment in Claremore, Okla., when he groped the man’s genitals again, causing him bodily injury.
“Dewayne Dudley exploited his position of authority when he cruelly assaulted a detainee he was charged to protect,” Oklahoma City Special Agent in Charge Edward J. Gray said in a statement.
He was “a predator who used his authority and position to control and violate the victim,” added U.S. Attorney Clinton J. Johnson of the Northern District of Oklahoma. “He abandoned his ethical responsibilities and has been held accountable.”
Dudley faces 12 to 15 years in federal prison, followed by up to five years of supervised release. He will also be required to pay restitution to the victim.
