Nevada corrections officer accused of sexually assaulting inmate multiple times

A corrections officer at a Nevada prison is accused of sexually assaulting an inmate on multiple occasions and forcing her to harm herself to delay a transfer to another facility, according to a lawsuit filed last week.

The lawsuit was filed in District Court on Feb. 10 by an inmate listed as G.G. against the for-profit prison company CoreCivic Inc. and corrections officer Seth Bloodworth.

It accuses Bloodworth of several instances of sexual assault at the Nevada Southern Detention Center in Pahrump beginning in April 2023. The allegations include trapping her in a utility closet at least five times, masturbating in front of her and raping her.

When she tried to make noise during the incidents to get help, he stopped her physically, according to the lawsuit.

As a result of the unwanted advances, the plaintiff “lived in constant fear,” the complaint said.

The woman’s attorney, Christian Morris, said that she was proud of her for reporting the incident, calling it a “beacon of hope” for the future.

“Cases like this are so dramatically underreported, because the people who are victims of the sexual assault are in positions of zero power,” she said. “It exposes what’s going on behind those bars.”

Morris also said CoreCivic should have more checks and balances.

CoreCivic does not comment on pending litigation, according to Brian Todd, public affairs manager for the company. “The safety and dignity of every person in our care is a top priority for our leadership and the staff at all our facilities, including the Nevada Southern Detention Center,” Todd wrote in a Wednesday email.

Bloodworth is no longer is employed at the prison, Todd said.

An attempt by the Review-Journal to reach Bloodworth was unsuccessful Wednesday.

In addition to the assault allegations, the lawsuit also said the plaintiff was subjected to “substandard living conditions that violated basic standards of hygiene and comfort.” It said that her uniform was cleaned once per week and that she was forced to wear dirty clothes.

The lawsuit also makes allegations of verbal harassment. Bloodworth allegedly talked about what the victim would look like during sex and that he wanted to “put a baby in her.” He also made comments about what her body looked like while she slept, the complaint said.

The lawsuit said that the inmate was too nervous to report the incidents because Bloodworth had told her that multiple family members were employed with the facility and also said that he had connections to drug dealers who lived near her family.

The complaint describes a “coercive environment” that silenced her and left her vulnerable to continued abuse.

He had been listening to her calls and knew the names of her children and where her family was, the complaint said.

When it was time for the inmate to be transferred to another facility, he convinced her to commit self harm so that she would be placed on suicide watch and her transfer would be delayed. She was and her transfer was delayed a month. When she was eventually transferred in June or July of 2023, Bloodworth allegedly continued to send her inappropriate notes and photos. He also began making video calls with her asking sexual questions, the complaint said.

She reported the sexual abuse, including two letters and six photos, to the Special Investigative Services officer at the new facility, the complaint said. She never heard back, according to the lawsuit.

Morris said the plaintiff was lucky that she got transferred and that she is now in a facility in Florida.

Contact Katie Futterman at kfutterman@reviewjournal. Follow @ktfutts on X and @katiefutterman.bsky.social.

If you’re thinking about suicide, or are worried about a friend or loved one, help is available 24/7 by calling or texting the Lifeline network at 988. Live chat is available at 988lifeline.org. Additionally, the Crisis Text Line is a free, national service available 24/7. Text HOME to 741741.