9/14/2023 0 Comments Downtown travelers rest scThe lawsuit claims the Plaintiff was left with bruises “from her collarbone to her toes” and now suffers mental and emotional trauma, including a fear of law enforcement.Īccording to the lawsuit and CJA files, Hildebrandt was previously employed at Laurens County Sheriff’s Office where he was terminated in August 2021 for an excessive use of force violation. He then took her to a secluded area at Travelers Rest High School and proceed to forcefully remove her clothes and perform non-consensual oral sex on her, the complaint says.Īccording to termination documents reviewed from the South Carolina Criminal Justice Academy, Hildebrandt admitted to having oral sex on duty but claimed the sex was consensual. Therefore, I do not wish to comment on a potential lawsuit at this time," Chief Benjamin Ford said in an email Wednesday.Īccording to the lawsuit, Hildebrandt persuaded the Plaintiff to drive to an abandoned area “to sober up” to avoid being charged for driving under the influence. “The Travelers Rest Police Department has not been served with papers regarding a lawsuit that I am aware of. The complaint also claims the incident is indicative of widespread issues at the Travelers Rest Police Department and failures to adequately hire and vet new officers. Previous reporting: Former Travelers Rest officer accused of sexual assault denied bond reduction Hildebrandt responded to the residence and told the plaintiff if she didn’t do what he said, he would take her to jail. The civil lawsuit, filed Tuesday against Hildebrandt and the City of Travelers Rest by Strom Law Firm based in Columbia, claims the unnamed Plaintiff’s constitutional protections from excessive force and unreasonable search a seizure were violated as a result of the assault.Īccording to the lawsuit, on June 3, 2022, the Plaintiff was involved a verbal dispute with her boyfriend who then called the police. Hildebrandt was on duty at the time of the incident, warrants say. The officer, Gerard James Hildebrandt, 43, was charged by the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division in April for an alleged sexual assault that occurred at Travelers Rest High School. A federal lawsuit has been filed against the City of Travelers Rest after a former police officer was charged with criminal sexual conduct and misconduct in office earlier this year.
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