A Meridianville woman has filed a federal lawsuit against the North Alabama Town of Killen, its police chief and a former police officer after being sexually assaulted during a traffic stop in November 2023.
The woman, identified as Jane Doe in the legal action, is alleging that her constitutional rights were violated during the attack, after suffering permanent injuries, mental anguish and lost wages. She has requested a struck jury to hear the lawsuit and aims to win both punitive and compensatory damages.
According to court documents, Jarrod Gailen Webster, 27, pulled the victim over and told her to exit the vehicle, eventually asking what she would do for him to "get out of this." After refusing Webster's advance, the woman was handcuffed, placed in the back of the police cruiser, and sexually assaulted. During the incident, Webster reportedly shut off his body cam and issued threats against the victim, telling her she would be brought up on charges if she did not comply. Webster was eventually charged with rape in the first degree and sodomy in the first degree.
The lawsuit also claims that Webster engaged in other predatory actions, something the victim believes the town of Killen knew about. Per the Department of Justice, between June 2016 and October 2018, Webster communicated with a minor by phone, asking the child to produce and send him sexually explicit images. The victim sent multiple photos to Webster at his request, at least one of which constituted child sexual abuse material.
In May, United States District Judge Liles Burke of the Northern District of Alabama sentenced Webster to 15 years in prison for his crimes.
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