Mar 16, 2008 - 04:05:30 CDT
VALLEY CITY (AP) - A former inmate at the Barnes County jail who was found in a criminal case to have been sexually assaulted by a jailer has lost her civil lawsuit against the jailer and the county.A nine-member jury concluded that the November 2004 sexual act was consensual and found Barnes County was not negligent for jailer Kevin Schudar's actions.
The woman had accused Schudar of battery, intentionally inflicting emotional distress, assault and violating her civil rights. She sought more than $100,000 in damages.
Schudar pleaded guilty in criminal court in April 2005 to a felony charge of abuse of a ward and was given a suspended sentence. He also was put on probation and ordered to register as a sex offender until April 2015.
The woman, who had been in jail on a burglary charge, denied that the sexual act was consensual.
The Associated Press generally does not identify victims of sexual assaults or those who make such accusations in court.
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