Milwaukee County Jail sexual assault attempt, former officer charged
MILWAUKEE - A now-former correctional officer is accused of attempting to sexually assault a Milwaukee County Jail inmate in May.
Prosecutors have charged 29-year-old Devon Winbush with attempted second-degree sexual assault and delivering illegal articles to an inmate.
According to a criminal complaint, the conduct took place between May 17 and May 27. Winbush was working at the county jail at the time, where the victim was being held.
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The complaint states Winbush gave the victim his phone to use, which the victim used to FaceTime her partner. He also put money in the victim's jail account and admitted to texting her using the jail's text system. Those messages included conversations in which Winbush told the victim he thought she was "cute."
The victim told deputies, per the complaint, that Winbush came into her cell multiple times, including one time when she was showering. Video from the jail showed him going into her cell 30 times in one shift.
Milwaukee County Jail
In one instance, the complaint states Winbush went into the victim's cell and touched her inappropriately before exposing himself.
The sheriff's office said Winbush was hired in July 2022 and was still in the "probationary phase of his employment." He was arrested May 29 and, after an investigation by MCSO's Criminal Investigation Division and internal inquiry, fired.
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Statement from Sheriff Denita Ball:
"The Milwaukee County Sheriff’s Office is committed to holding itself accountable. I have said before and mean it more than ever that no one – especially a member of this or any other criminal justice agency – is above the law. This former officer is alleged to have broken the law and to have violated the trust put in him to protect the wellbeing of our occupants. He will face consequences as determined by a judge or a jury."