SAN JOAQUIN COUNTY, Calif. — A correctional officer at the San Joaquin County Jail was indicted Thursday for numerous sexual assault crimes.
San Joaquin County District Attorney Tori Verber Salazar announced that a grand jury indicted Alex Tafoya for the following:
- Oral copulation by force
- Sexual penetration by force
- False imprisonment by violence, fraud or deceit
- Assault by a police officer.
“We must protect women from sexual violence irrespective of their circumstance,” said District Attorney Tori Verber Salazar. “When law enforcement officers violate their oath and authority and abuse members of the community, they will be held accountable."
To read the full statement, visit the District Attorney's website here.
The San Joaquin County Sheriff's Office said in a Facebook post Thursday that they were made aware of Tafoya's conduct in early July. He was then placed on administrative leave.
"When allegations of this nature are brought to our attention, we take them extremely seriously," the sheriff's office said on Facebook. "Conduct of this nature is a dishonor to our Office, the Oath that we take, and the badge that we wear."
A sentencing date was not announced at the time of publishing.
The sheriff's office said Tafoya was remanded into custody and will remain in jail until and throughout his trial.
"Two individuals who brought dishonor and crime into our jail"
San Joaquin County Sheriff Pat Withrow spoke with ABC10 late Thursday afternoon. He said the allegations against Tafoya involve a woman out in the community - not an inmate - whom Tafoya encountered while he was on duty. Withrow declined to give details of the report, though he called it an isolated incident.
"I just want to reassure the people of San Joaquin County and everybody up and down our state that no law enforcement agency wants to have a law enforcement officer dishonor the badge or their department," Withrow said. "Of course, we never want our citizens put in any type of danger by our officers. If these charges are proved out, he will be held accountable to the highest standard of the law. I'm sure the DA (District Attorney) will take care of that and so will the judge."
Withrow said Tafoya has worked for the San Joaquin County Sheriff's Office for about a dozen years, although he did not have the exact date in front of him at the time. Withrow said Tafoya has worked at the jail that whole time. Tafoya is now on paid administrative leave.
"Everybody is presumed innocent until they're found guilty in a court of law. So he's on paid administrative leave," Withrow said, adding that the allegations against Tafoya were brought to his office's attention on July 12 of this year and Tafoya was placed on leave the next day, at which time an investigation began.
This is the second case involving a San Joaquin County correctional officer under similar circumstances. Zachary Simmons, a correctional officer with the San Joaquin County Sheriff’s Office, was found guilty of multiple felony offenses, including rape and sexual activity, and one misdemeanor. Simmons' crimes involved female inmates.
The San Joaquin Sheriff's Office said in a statement back in 2020 that an investigation into the alleged crimes began in late August of that year. On Aug. 26, 2020, Simmons was placed on administrative leave as the department completed an internal investigation. Following the investigation, the DA's office filed three felony charges and one misdemeanor against Simmons, who turned himself into custody on Oct. 5, 2020.
Asked if there's a bigger problem happening at the jail, Sheriff Withrow said, "I would say this is not a problem throughout our department. These are two individuals who brought dishonor and crime into our jail, and we immediately acted. None of us want to be around dirty cops," Withrow said, adding that "Mr. Tafoya is innocent until proven guilty, but he is currently sitting in custody at the Stanislaus County Jail, and he will have his day in court."
ABC10 reached out to Tafoya's family for comment, however, his brother said the family is declining to comment.
Sexual violence resources:
- National Domestic Violence Hotline (24/7)
- Voice: (800) 799-7233
- National Human Trafficking Hotline
- Voice: (888) 373-7888
- National Sexual Assault Hotline (RAINN)
- Voice: (800) 656-HOPE (4673)
- California Coalition Against Sexual Assault (CALCASA)
- W.E.A.V.E.: Women Escaping a Violent Environment 1-866-920-2952 http://www.weaveinc.org/
- RAINN: Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network https://rainn.org/
- NSVRC: National Sexual Violence Resource Center http://www.nsvrc.org/
- National Sexual Abuse Hotline 1-800-656-HOPE 1-800-656-4673
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