James Faulkner, 35, of Milwaukee is facing three counts of second-degree sexual assault by correctional staff, strangulation and suffocation, and felony intimidation of a victim. Faulkner is a correctional officer at Robert E. Ellsworth Correctional Center, which is a women’s prison.
Faulkner was interviewed and admitted to having sexual contact with the inmate, according to the Racine County Sheriff’s Office.
On Friday, June 28, the Racine County Sheriff’s Criminal Investigators obtained information that there was an female inmate in the correctional center who was claiming to have been sexually assaulted by a correctional officer, The Journal Times reports.
According to the complaint, an inmate at Robert E. Ellsworth Correctional Center in the Town of Dover, Wisconsin described multiple incidents to authorities in which she said she was sexually assaulted by Faulkner. She said during at least one of those instances, Faulkner choked her and threatened to have her transferred to another facility if she told anyone.
When investigators asked Faulkner about the allegations, he initially denied them before saying the inmate hit on him and he “kinda gave in.” He said it was his error and admitted to making a mistake but said he never forced the inmate to do anything because he doesn’t have the power to send her to another facility. He denied choking the inmate or grabbing her, saying he wasn’t that type of guy.
When searching Faulkner, investigators said they found a 6-inch folding razor knife which is not allowed in the institution.
Faulkner was booked into the Racine County Jail and is facing charges of delivering an illegal article to institution, misconduct in office, strangulation and suffocation, intimidating a victim, and three counts of 2nd-degree sexual assault by correctional staff.
