A Park City woman has been charged after sheriff’s officials said she falsely accused a corrections officer at the Lake County Jail of sexual assault.
Teresa M. Guzman, 36, of the 3300 block of Judy Lane in Park City, has been charged with one count of making a false report to police, which is a class 4 felony.
Lake County Sheriff’s Office Sgt. Christopher Covelli said that Guzman was originally being held in the Lake County Jail on residential burglary charges. While she was in the jail, a corrections officer received a phone call on June 21 from a family member of Guzman saying that Guzman was sexually assaulted by a female corrections officer during a pat-down search.
“As the Lake County Jail is a certified Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA) Facility, PREA protocols were initiated and immediate notification was made to PREA trained sheriff’s detectives,” Sgt. Covelli said.
Guzman told detectives that she was inappropriately touched in her groin by the corrections officer just before leaving the jail library.
“The video surveillance captured the entire encounter between Guzman and the corrections officer. The video contradicted Guzman’s allegation and showed the corrections officer at no time made contact with Guzman’s groin area,” Sgt. Covelli said.
Guzman was interviewed again by detectives and admitted to lying about the allegation. She told authorities that she “didn’t care for the corrections officers,” and that is what prompted her to make the false allegation.
“They [corrections officers] often face verbal abuse, physical abuse, and false allegations. Our correctional officers are held to a high standard of accountability and we will pursue charges against anyone who assaults them or makes false allegations against them,” Sheriff Mark Curran said.
Guzman’s bond was set at $100,000. She is scheduled to appear in court next on July 12.