ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — A corrections officer at the Orange County Regional Juvenile Assessment and Detention Center has been arrested after accusations surfaced that he raped a teen inmate, according to an arrest report from the Orange County Sheriff’s Office.
Marcus Leon James, 26, of Orlando, faces charges of sexual assault on a person younger than 18 and sexual misconduct by a corrections officer.
The 17-year-old girl told investigators she and another inmate were told to clean several areas Sunday and that she was told to go into James' office, investigators said.
James is accused of raping the teen and said if the victim told anyone, she would “never see the daylight again,” investigators said.
James then gave the teen and another inmate a McDouble hamburger from McDonald’s, deputies said.
James denied raping the teen while he was questioned by deputies and said he stood in the doorway while the area was cleaned.
James said the two were friends and she initiated and consented to having sex with him, investigators said.
"Consent is not going to be the key to the prison door for this defendant. The bottom line is that the age of consent in Florida is 18," said WFTV legal analyst Bill Sheaffer.
James also told investigators he was being treated for a STD.
Per the Department of Juvenile Justice operating procedures, after reporting the incident, the teen was taken to the sexual assault treatment center where she spoke to investigators and received medical care.
The teen would have received "emergency contraception and sexually transmitted infections prophylaxis," according to the state's procedures. The victim will also receive mental health services and talk to a victim advocate.
To prevent retaliation, protocol requires staff to check on the teen ever 90-day period following a report of sexual misconduct, according to state officials.
A spokesperson for the state told Channel 9's Cierra Putman that James has been fired. He worked as a juvenile corrections officer for three and half years.
James is being held at the Orange County Jail without bail.
There are 13 detention officer openings at the facility and 88 working detention officers for 80 juvenile detainees.
Cox Media Group
