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More women allege abuse at Truckee jail

Kevin Miller

In testimony this week, a woman said she had told a pair of Nevada County Sheriff’s Department employees about the sexual abuse she allegedly underwent at the hands of a Truckee correctional officer.

The information, which “Ginger L.” said she passed along April 19, 1997, apparently never went any further. Ten days later, she was raped by Bobby “B.A.” Rutledge, Ginger said in court Tuesday.

And according to charges filed against the former jailer, the abuse of female inmates continued into August, until an investigation commenced, and he was subsequently arrested.



Accusations of sexual molestation

Fourteen women who spent time in the Nevada County Sheriff’s Department substation in Truckee have accused Rutledge of sexually molesting them.



Judge Kathleen Butz heard enough evidence against Rutledge Tuesday to hold over the eight-count case to Superior Court, where it likely will be consolidated with a 21-count case already pending trial.

District Attorney Mike Ferguson said Ginger L.’s allegation that she had complained to Sheriff’s Department officials about Rutledge four months before an investigation commenced would be looked into, noting it was news to him.

Defense attorney Stephen Munkelt said the statement – like many made by alleged victims – needs to be investigated.

Munkelt spent little time questioning Ginger’s account of how she was allegedly raped by Rutledge in a room only 3 feet from male inmates of the Truckee substation.

Ginger said that while Rutledge raped her from behind, she looked out a window and saw the hands of a male inmate sticking through the bars. The hands were balled into a fist with the middle fingers extended, she said.

Speaking through clenched teeth with her hands clasped tightly in front of her, Ginger’s testimony bore more contempt for the process and parties involved – particularly Rutledge – than grief.

Before testifying that Rutledge had put his finger into her genitals as part of a strip search, Ginger cleared her throat, swallowed hard, glances toward the defendant, and recounted what Rutledge supposedly told her.

“He asked me if I had anything up there,” she said.

The former Truckee jailer, 29, ordered Ginger to shower, she said, after which he allegedly threatened to suspend her release if she didn’t allow him to spread baby oil on her. She told Rutledge she was not interested in him, but said she finally surrendered to his sexual advances when he threatened to prevent her from seeing her son, Ginger testified.

“I told him to get it over with,” she said.

Ginger’s defiant demeanor differed from Jana, a Carson City woman who said Rutledge forced her to strip in front of him and fondled her breasts.

Jana turned her body away from Rutledge, who sat to her left as she faced the courtroom.

She testified that Rutledge molested her again when he returned to her jail cell shortly before dawn.

Rutledge pleaded not guilty to all counts levied against him Tuesday. If found guilty on all counts, he faces a maximum sentence of more than 20 years in prison.

Editor’s note: To protect the confidentiality of the victims, The Sun will refer to women testifying in this case only by their first names.

Sierra Sun E-mail: sun@tahoe.com

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