A former Cherokee County deputy was arrested after he was accused of sexually assaulting a female inmate during his tenure.
Richard Gilleland, 51, of Canton, is facing two counts of sexual assault against a person in custody, two counts of sexual battery and two counts of violation of oath of office in connection with the alleged assault.
Cherokee County sheriff’s spokesman Capt. Jay Baker said a second inmate also came forward with misconduct allegations, and while they would be considered policy violations, they did not amount to criminal charges.
Gilleland was placed on administrative leave when the investigation began last Friday, and he resigned Tuesday, Baker said. He had been with the sheriff’s office for five years.
Sheriff Frank Reynolds told Channel 2 Action News investigators believe the assault happened on his agency’s property, but they do not have video evidence.
“There are portions of the jail that are not monitored by video surveillance,” he said. “It is our belief that he took the female to that portion of the jail that is not videotaped.”
Deputies arrested Gilleland on Thursday morning. He posted an $8,000 bond and was released from custody later that afternoon. As condition of his bond, a judge ordered him to have no contact with either of the female inmates.
"We work hard to build trust and confidence with our citizens, and in cases like this, we're going to police ourselves,” Reynolds told the news station. “We take this very seriously, and this is something I'm not going to tolerate.”
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