Last Updated on 5/30/2012

Published on 2/7/2012

A former Georgetown County Detention Center officer who admitted in court he sexually assaulted three female inmates in 2009 says in court documents he did not commit the crimes.
On Jan. 23, Belvin Lee Sherrill, 28, pleaded guilty to criminal sexual conduct and was sentenced to 18 months in prison.
He was originally charged with three counts of first degree criminal sexual conduct and misconduct in office but was allowed to plea to the single charge.
Two of the three women who say they were assaulted have filed a lawsuit against Sherrill and Georgetown County Sheriff Lane Cribb since the Detention Center falls under his jurisdiction.
The suit accuses the sheriff of “lack of supervision and discipline” of Sherrill, an allegation Cribb denies.
In his answer to the suit, Cribb says “upon learning of the allegations” Sherrill “was immediately discharged.”
Cribb says he learned of the accusations on Dec. 13, 2009, and Sherrill “was terminated upon returning to work the following day.”
We are identifying the women as Jane Doe and Mary Roe because they are the victims of sexual assault.
South Carolina Press Association Executive Director Bill Rogers says because the women’s names are on the court documents, they could legally be used but “most newspapers do not use the names of rape victims, even in a civil suit.”
He advised against using the names.
 
The allegations

According to the suit, filed by attorney Harry Oxner, the two plaintiffs were in a cell of the Detention Center on Dec. 11, 2009 with another woman.
The suit says Sherrill entered the cell, exposed himself and ordered Doe and Roe to “perform fellatio on him.”
Sherrill later returned to the cell and ordered Doe to perform the act a second time.
While the acts were taking place, the suit states, the three women in the cell were “repeatedly pushing the panic button” but it “apparently was not working.” The women say at no time did any other employee “intervene or take any actions to protect” the women from harm.
The following day, Sherrill slid a letter under the cell door apologizing for the incident.
The third woman that was in the cell reported the incidents to a corporal who had the women fill out forms about what happened.
The corporal asked for, and was given, the letter Sherrill had written. The letter was never returned to the plaintiffs.
The two women say because of the assault they continue to suffer “severe mental anguish and emotional distress, including the fear of having been exposed to the HIV virus or other sexually transmitted disease.”
The suit asks for compensatory damages “in an appropriate amount” as well as “punitive damages” against Cribb and Sherrill.
They are also asking for their attorney fees to be paid and any other awards the court deems just and proper.

Sherrill responds

Sherrill has filed two separate answers to the claims made in the lawsuit. In both he denies the sexual allegations made by the women.
In documents filed July 11, Sherrill states if the women had not committed crimes, they would not have been in jail and “would not have had the opportunity to know (he) existed on the earth.”
He also states Doe is the one who has caused physical and emotional harm to others having been charged with assault and battery with intent to kill as well as felony DUI resulting in a death.
He notes Roe was in jail on nine forgery charges.
Sherrill also says Doe “did flash her breasts” at him as he was walking by the cell.
He also claims both women tried to coerce him into bringing him cigarettes and when he refused to do so they made the allegations against him.
The “plaintiffs have communicated these falsehoods to third persons and the public,” Sherrill’s answer states.

By Scott Harper
sharper@gtowntimes.com