Guard at “Rape Club” prison faces new charges of sexual abuse of inmates

A new indictment accuses a former correctional officer at a now-closed federal prison for women in California, also known as a “rape club,” of abusing other female inmates.

A federal grand jury on Thursday issued an additional indictment against Darrell Wayne Smith on 15 counts of sexual abuse, including a civil rights violation, of five women incarcerated at the Federal Correctional Institution in Dublin, California, in the East Bay area. Smith, known to inmates as “Dirty Dick,” was previously charged with sexual abuse of three female inmates. He is accused of sexually assaulting the women in their cells and a laundry room between 2016 and 2021.

Smith is one of eight employees of FCI Dublin — including a former director — accused of sexually abusing women in prison. Inmates accuse him of actively roaming the prison, seeking victims and locking women in their cells until they exposed themselves to him.

“Today’s indictment contains three new allegations of sexual assault by Smith, a correctional officer at FCI Dublin,” U.S. Department of Justice Inspector General Michael E. Horowitz said in a statement. “The 15 counts against Smith allege that he sexually abused multiple inmates over several years, including brazen and violent acts.”

The Bureau of Prisons closed FCI Dublin in April, saying it did not meet standards, despite the agency having provided resources to address a culture of abuse and staff misconduct at the facility.

Read more:Women in a California prison dubbed a ‘rape club’ now worry about where they will be transferred

Allegations of criminal behavior in the prison went all the way to the top. Warden Ray J. Garcia was convicted in March of sex with inmates and sexual abuse. Inmates cannot consent to sex with prison staff. Garcia was sentenced to 70 months in a federal prison.

The latest charges follow a years-long scandal at the facility. Since an FBI investigation was launched and led to arrests in 2021, eight FCI Dublin employees have been charged with sexually abusing inmates. Five have pleaded guilty and two – including Garcia – have been convicted by juries. Another employee is scheduled to go on trial later this year.

“As alleged, Officer Daryl Smith committed horrific crimes when he sexually abused those in his care and custody,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Lisa Monaco said in a statement. “This indictment is the latest result of the department’s ongoing work to seek justice for victims of sexual assault at FCI Dublin.”

The first federal indictment against Smith, 55, who now lives in Florida, was filed on April 13, 2023, and accuses him of engaging in illegal sexual acts with three female inmates. It includes 12 counts of sexual abuse between 2016 and May 2021 in which Smith is accused of engaging in sexual acts with three female inmates.

The new indictment names two more victims by their initials and charges Smith with three more counts, including a federal civil rights violation alleging aggravated sexual abuse of one of the women.

An arraignment on the new charges has not yet been scheduled. Smith, who was arrested in May and released on bail, is scheduled to appear in court starting March 17.

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This story originally appeared in the Los Angeles Times.