A male inmate at an Arizona prison was caught on camera crawling past a guard to get to the women's side of the facility and later confessed to planning to “rape” a female inmate, according to court documents.
Justin Avery, 29, was being held on suspicion of sexually assaulting five women near Arizona State University's Tempe campus when he was caught on surveillance camera sneaking past an unaware security guard at 4 a.m. Video obtained by ABC15.
According to the outlet, Avery, wearing a bright orange prison uniform, was seen falling to the ground and sliding on his bottom as he made his way from the crowded men's side of the Maricopa County Reception Facility to the much quieter women's side.
He later admitted he was attracted to the female inmate's “thick butt” and “sneaked up to her like a spider,” according to court documents obtained by ABC15.
When Avery reached the female prisoner's seat, he crept up behind the sleeping female inmate and pulled down her pants, later admitting he intended to “rape” her, according to court documents.
But he was stopped when another woman saw him and yelled, “Hey, get out of here,” court documents said.
Avery tried to silence the witness, but his rant had already attracted the attention of security, who called for reinforcements.
He confessed during questioning and was additionally charged with sexual assault.
The disturbing incident in custody happened in April but only came to light after the footage was obtained through a records request, according to ABC15.
“We are appalled by Inmate Avery's actions,” the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office said. He told AZFamily.
“This is an unusual incident and the first time in four years. [Intake Transfer and Release] The facility was open.
“We acted immediately to increase monitoring by adding mirrors in what we found to be blind spots. Additionally, we have also completed a review of our current procedures to ensure best practices are being implemented.”
The spokesperson added that Avery, who is still in custody, has been “reclassified” due to his “conduct within the facility.”
He is scheduled to appear in court on Tuesday.
