A federal grand jury in Cleveland, Ohio, has indicted Damon K. Perry, a 52-year-old resident of Youngstown, on charges of sexually abusing a female inmate at the Mahoning County Jail. The incidents reportedly occurred on two separate dates in November 2023 while the inmate was under federal detention.
The Mahoning County Jail, located in Youngstown, operates under contract with a federal law enforcement agency to house detainees as needed. According to court documents, the first alleged incident took place on November 9, 2023, when Perry was responsible for supervising the inmate. A second incident is said to have occurred on November 30, 2023.
U.S. Attorney Rebecca Lutzko for the Northern District of Ohio stated, “A prison sentence should never include sexual abuse, and certainly not sexual abuse committed by someone to whom we have entrusted a prisoner’s care and custody.” She emphasized that correction officers are expected to use their authority to ensure the safety of inmates rather than violate their basic rights.
The U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of the Inspector General is leading the investigation into this case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher Joyce and Yasmine Makridis for the Northern District of Ohio are handling the prosecution.