The Orange County Criminal Lawyer Blog
A sheriff’s deputy in Texas allegedly took female suspects of criminal activity to remote areas and reportedly strip-searched them without legal cause.
49-year-old Floyd Berry has worked in law enforcement in Bexar County for the past 9-years.
Beginning on November 4 and spanning over the following 10-days, Berry allegedly performed traffic stops on several vehicles holding women who were in legal trouble, such as having active warrants.
During at least 6 of the encounters between Berry and the women he interacted with after pulling them over, the deputy allegedly took them from the scene and had them remove their clothing for strip searches that were not reportedly ordered by the Sheriff’s Office.
According to reports about the allegations, most of the women were passengers in the cars that were pulled over. In one of the cases reported, the driver of the car was a vehicle theft suspect but they were allegedly left on their own while the female passenger in the car was allegedly shuttled out of sight for a strip down.
The authorities disclosed that strip searches almost never happen outside of detention facilities, and for female suspects, a female officer is typically present for the procedure.
Last Saturday, Berry was arrested for misdemeanor sexual harassment charges, and three counts of official oppression, with more possible charges pending.
The authorities believe that they will discover additional women who were exposed to the purportedly illegal searches allegedly performed by Berry, and they posited that he may have chosen women with criminal issues with the expectation that their credibility would come into question if they made claims against him.
Berry was released from custody the following day on a $45,000 bond.
Due to the charges, he was first placed on administrative leave, but Berry is now looking at the very real possibility that he will be fired from his job due to the accusations.
If you or someone you love is suspected of a sex crime, contact Orange County criminal defense lawyer Staycie R. Sena at (949) 477-8088 for a consultation now.