Grand jury hears abuse allegations against Deputy Jailer

A Whitley County Grand Jury could decide next week whether a deputy jailer should be charged with assaulting an inmate.
William J. Young, 32, filed a complaint Aug. 20 in U.S. District Court in London against Jailer Ken Mobley, Chief Deputy Jailer Bob O’Neill, Deputy Jailers Cecil Powers and Joe Fuson, and Head Nurse Melinda Moses.

In the lawsuit Young asks that all be fired and be forced to issue him a public apology for his alleged mistreatment. He is also asking for $10 million in damages.

Young claims that on July 3, Powers took him out of his cell and placed him in isolation for "laughing about a joke one of the other cell mates made …" He says Powers yelled at him and slapped him, them pushed him down on the ground and stepped on his left shoulder.

Young says Powers came back later and "threatened and demeaned" him outside of the cell.

In the complaint, Young claims Fuson took the shirt Powers stepped on as evidence of the assault, but that it "disappeared" when Kentucky Department of Corrections officials came to investigate.

The grand jury heard from both Young and Powers Monday, Whitley County Commonwealth’s Attorney Allen Trimble confirmed.

Trimble said that he is uncertain whether the grand jury will take final action when it issues its monthly report next week.
He said that it’s possible grand jurors would request additional testimony or ask to subpoena other people connected with the case.

Mobley said in late August that Powers has been placed on unpaid administrative leave pending the outcome of the complaint being taken to the Whitley County Grand Jury.

"I put Cecil on leave until it is all cleared up," Mobley said. "I had to. I just don’t want to do nothing. He was the one that supposedly shut him down. I don’t know what happened because I wasn’t there. When they make an accusation you got to follow through on it."

Also in the lawsuit, Young complains that he caught MSRA (staff infection) and was refused medical attention from jail staff and was denied prescribed medications. He said he ended up treating the infection himself.

Filing the complaint without the help of an attorney, Young said he has tried to use the jail’s administrative complaint process to no avail.

Since filing the complaint, Young has been moved to the McCreary County Detention Center in Whitley City. Mobley said it is typical for inmates who file lawsuits against jail staff to be moved to avoid any possible accusations of retribution.

Young is awaiting trial on burglary, kidnapping, sex abuse and attempted murder charges. He is also charged with misdemeanor assault.

The incident involving the kidnapping allegedly happened around midnight on June 24.

The victim told police that Young came to her home, assaulted her outside it, then forced her into the car and drove to Dal Road where he attempted to rape her, according to the arrest citation.

The victim also told police that Young poured gasoline on her and "threatened to set her on fire," police wrote in the citation.