OAKLAND — Days earlier than he was introduced up on federal fees of sexually abusing an incarcerated girl, a former chaplain at Dublin’s federal jail agreed to plead responsible to a federal offense, in response to new courtroom filings.
James T. Highhouse was charged Jan. 18 with 4 counts of sexually abusing a lady in FCI Dublin, and one depend of mendacity about it to the FBI. However 4 days earlier than submitting the fees, federal prosecutors agreed to a plea cope with Highhouse. Particulars of the deal haven’t been launched, although he's anticipated to plead responsible to no less than one cost, information present.
Highhouse faces as much as 15 years in federal jail if convicted of sexual abuse, however federal sentencing pointers will place him in a a lot decrease vary. His change-of-plea listening to is about for Feb. 23, courtroom information present.
The charging paperwork allege that Highhouse abused a single sufferer throughout a time interval that began in Might 15, 2018 and ended Feb. 9, 2019, in response to courtroom information. Lower than two weeks later, on Feb. 21, 2019, Highhouse allegedly lied to the FBI and Workplace of the Inspector Normal.
Highhouse’s arrest is just the newest black mark for the jail, which since final June has seen 4 former staff, together with the ex-warden, Ray J. Garcia, charged with sexual abuse of incarcerated ladies. The felony criticism in opposition to Garcia alleges that he warned his sufferer to not report the abuse, explaining he was mates with the worker who’d be answerable for investigating it.
Final week, Congressman Eric Swalwell, a Democrat who represents the Tri-Valley space, instructed the information station KTVU he's “deeply involved” in regards to the sample of sexual abuse allegations on the jail and added, “I look ahead to listening to extra from the Justice Division’s Workplace of the Inspector Normal concerning the complete extent of the issue.”
The OIG started investigating the jail after the alleged sexual abuse was reported, however to date has not publicly launched the outcomes of any audits.
At this level, it's unclear whether or not federal authorities will search Highhouse’s cooperation in opposition to different present or former staff suspected of sexual abuse on the jail.