Denton prison guard fired and arrested for sexually assaulting inmate

A Denton City Jail employee was fired and arrested in connection with the sexual harassment of an inmate, police said in a press release.

On July 17, a woman reported to authorities that the prison guard, 22-year-old Miguel Mederos, offered to drive her to her vehicle after she was released from the Denton City Jail on Jan. 2, 2023. She accepted the offer and Mederos made several sexual comments to her during the ride, she told authorities. He also made sexual advances to her in text messages that same day, according to the press release.

After receiving the report, the police immediately placed Mederos on leave, the press release states.

Click to resize

After reviewing evidence and conducting interviews, investigators concluded that Mederos intentionally “sexually harassed the victim by demanding sexual favors” as part of his employment, the press release said.

Mederos was fired on Tuesday and arrested for abuse of office. He had worked for the Denton Police Department since June 2022.

“Our community is accustomed to a high level of police service and it is important that our actions reflect that reputation. This individual’s conduct is deplorable and certainly does not represent the values ​​of the Denton Police Department,” Acting Police Chief Jessica Robledo said in the release. “All Denton Police Department employees are held to the highest standards in our city and when their actions do not align with that expectation, we are obligated to act swiftly.”

Mederos is being held in the Denton County Jail on $2,500 bail.

Anyone with information regarding the case or any employee misconduct is asked to contact Sergeant Michael McIntire of the Internal Affairs Division at 940-349-8965.