Local county sheriff charged with rape of inmate

[QueenBee]

Catherine A. McLaughlin, 53, was indicted by a Monroe County grand jury on three counts of third-degree rape, a felony, 13 counts of official misconduct and one count of unauthorized use of a computer, both misdemeanors.

The indictment was unsealed in front of Monroe County Judge Frank Geraci, said Cpl. John Helfer of the Monroe County Sheriff's Office.

Assistant District Attorney Bill Gargan said McLaughlin pleaded not guilty and was released on her own recognizance.
McLaughlin has worked for the Sheriff's Office, in the Monroe County Jail, for 23 years, Helfer said. She has been a captain at the jail since 2004.
She was suspended without pay on Sept. 17, the result of an internal and criminal investigation, he said.

"All of the charges relate to her capacity as a captain, and her failure to comply with the rules and regulations of her job," Gargan said.
McLaughlin was accused of having sex with a jail inmate at least three times between February and March, Gargan said.


The official misconduct charges stem from incidents that occurred between February and March, he said.
The lone count of authorized use of a computer stemmed from an incident that occurred in September, Gargan said.


Gargan said he could not release further details on the charges.
McLaughlin is expected to return to County Court Monday morning.

[Lady Cop]

what Monroe county and news outlet is that?
the Fla. Keys are Monroe county, but none of those names are familiar to me.

anyway, anytime a person in a position of authority has sex with a prisoner/inmate, it's rape whether the inmate wanted to or not. i've seen it happen several times and it always shocked me. who the fuck would risk their career for a fucking nasty INMATE?? jesus. just plain stupid. a captain no less!

[Lady Cop]

OK found her, a NY case:

News 10NBC has been tracking this case for a while. McLaughlin was suspended without pay on September 17 as a result of both a criminal and internal investigation. We know on or about that date, the inmate was transfered to the Livingston County Jail. Then the charges against him were eventually dropped and when that happened, the former inmate was immediately taken to testify in front of the grand jury.

The law says inmates cannot legally consent to have sex with any jail employee. That's why McLaughlin is charged with rape.

The prosecution

"I can tell you the allegation stems from the part of the penal law that bans intercourse between an employee of a local corrections facility and a person who was an inmate at that time and were not married," Assistant District Attorney Bill Gargan said.
"Did they have a relationship outside the jail?" I asked.
"At this point I would not comment on that," Gargan said.

The defense

We spoke with McLaughlin's attorney Erik Teifke and asked him how McLaughlin is doing. "She's extremely upset that her office would take the word of a habitual criminal over the word of a decorated 23 year veteran," he said.

Teifke said McLaughlin was one of several people who tried to help the inmate clean his life up after several stints in jail. "But they stopped the help after they felt they were being taken advantaged of," Teifke said.

McLaughlin worked in the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office for 23 years. She was assigned to the Jail Bureau.

McLaughlin's attorney is Erik Teifke, a lawyer in the Public Defender's office. In court, Teifke told Judge Frank Geraci that McLaughlin qualifies financially to get a public defender.

We tried to contact McLaughlin at her home but the phone number is disconnected.