HOUSTON — A new lawsuit claims sexual misconduct within the ranks of the Harris County Precinct 1 Constable’s Office.
Current and former female deputies claim they were assaulted by superiors during undercover operations.
"It’s not easy to talk about being exploited,” plaintiff Jacquelyn Aluotto said.
She was one of three plaintiffs who appeared at a Monday morning news conference.
They claim they became victims while working undercover for the Harris County Precinct 1 Constable’s Office's human trafficking unit.
'We’re here to speak truth to power so this never happens to any other women or children again,” Aluotto said.
In the lawsuit, the women claim they were victimized during undercover “bachelor party-style prostitution stings” that became “a booze-fueled playground for sexual exploitation.”
"These brave women were ordered, ordered by their commanding officer, that your job in my unit, in an undercover capacity, is to dress in scandalous clothes, to allow me to kiss you, to allow me to fondle you," attorney Cordt Akers said. "Essentially to be molested.”
The lawsuit alleges that county money was used to buy sex toys and other items and those female deputies were forced to model provocative outfits.
“I’ve been a lawyer for 40 years, have taken over 400 jury verdicts and thought I’d seen it all," attorney Brock Akers said. "I was wrong.”
The lawsuit claims Harris County Precinct 1 Constable Alan Rosen and Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg knew about the alleged abuse but took no action.
But, in a statement issued late Monday afternoon, the Constable’s Office said Rosen ordered an internal affairs investigation although no formal complaint was ever filed.
It said no violations of law or policy were found and that the department has zero-tolerance for sexual assault or harassment.
But Aluotto maintained that she was fired after blowing the whistle.
"We work with great law enforcement who is making a difference and we thank God for these every single day," Aluotto said. "But this specific culture really needs to stop.”
Constable Alan Rosen's full statement:
"When we were made aware of a concern by a third party several months ago, I proactively instructed our Internal Affairs Division to conduct an investigation. We did this even though no one made a formal complaint. This is consistent with our ongoing commitment to protecting victims and our personnel. My sensitivity toward victims remains our highest priority. To this day, not one of these plaintiffs has ever made a formal complaint. Each employee interviewed was given the opportunity, in a safe environment, to express any concerns. Their own interview statements contradict many of the allegations in the lawsuit.
Upon conclusion of our internal investigation, our Administrative Disciplinary Committee found no violations of law or policy. When we began our proactive internal investigation, we immediately transferred leadership of the Human Trafficking Unit to another supervisor who still maintains oversight of that unit today.
VICTIM’S VOICES MATTER. I have a zero-tolerance stance against sexual assault and sexual harassment and would never allow a hostile work environment as alleged.
This lawsuit is an effort to impugn the good reputation of the hard-working men and women of the Precinct One Constable’s Office. I believe our system of due process works and that justice and truth will prevail as facts in this case come to light.
We will have no further comment today on this matter."
Statement from the Harris Co. District Attorney's Office:
“Anytime we receive an allegation from an officer accusing a fellow officer of impropriety, we connect them with appropriate investigative entities. We are not the investigative agency for such allegations, be them administrative, civil or criminal. In this matter, our Sex Crimes Division quickly asked Constable Pct. 1 Internal Affairs to investigate whether there was evidence of a crime and Ms. Aluotto has represented she contacted the Texas Rangers. Nothing has been presented to prosecutors by either agency.”