DEMING – A New Mexico Corrections Department officer has been arrested on multiple charges of criminal sexual contact involving female inmates at the Western New Mexico Correctional Facility in Grants, the New Mexico State Police announced.
Elijah Williams, 21, turned himself in to authorities on May 15 following a State Police investigation that began April 16. According to investigators, multiple female inmates alleged Williams engaged in sexual assaults during his time supervising them. The investigation uncovered what police called credible evidence of unlawful sexual contact over a period of time.
Williams was booked into the Cibola County Detention Center and faces four counts of criminal sexual contact and one count of battery.
New Mexico Corrections Department Cabinet Secretary Alisha Tafoya Lucero confirmed that Williams was immediately terminated and said, “We have zero tolerance for any misconduct, and any officer or staff member who engages in misconduct will be fully removed and referred for criminal prosecution to the fullest extent.”
The investigation remains ongoing.
For more state and local news, log onto KDEMFM.com or our Facebook page, keyword Deming Radio.