Top law enforcement official in Texas accused of rape, fired
Source: Associated Press
Jim Vertuno, Associated Press
Updated 3:45 pm CDT, Wednesday, July 31, 2019
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — One of Texas' top law enforcement officials has been charged with sexual assault after a woman said he raped her after taking her into the woods during a party at his house.
John Jones, a former Navy SEAL, was chief of intelligence and counterterrorism for the Texas Department of Public Safety until his arrest and firing on Tuesday. Jones caught the attention of President Donald Trump earlier this year when participating in a border security meeting with the president.
Trump tweeted a quote from Jones about the number of Texas prison inmates who were in the country illegally and had committed sexual assault against children.
"Most came through our Southern Border. We can end this easily — We need a Steel Barrier or Wall. Walls Work!" Jones said, according to Trump's tweet in January.
Read more: https://www.chron.com/news/texas/article/Top-law-enforcement-official-in-Texas-accused-of-14270556.php
story.lead_photo.caption
President Donald Trump (right) salutes a U.S. Customs and Border Protection helicopter Thursday as it flies over the Rio Grande during Trump’s visit to the border town of McAllen, Texas. Trump met with Border Patrol officers and heard stories of violent deaths at the hands of people in the country illegally.
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The victim reportedly told police that she was assaulted at a party Jones was hosting at his residence. She arrived at his home at about 1 p.m. that day and said Jones had been drinking all day. At one point, he passed out, according to the affidavit.
At about 9 p.m. that night, Jones and the victim took a ride on one of his ATVs, police said. The woman was initially riding on "the trails" around his home when Jones reportedly instructed her to go off the road.
Jones then asked the victim when the last time she had sex was and then "aggressively pushed her forward, allowing him to take control of the ATV," according to the police. Jones allegedly drove the ATV into a brushy area and put his hands into her shirt and under her bra. Police said he then squeezed her breasts and clenched his teeth, saying, "I know it's wrong."
According to the affidavit, the victim said Jones then twisted her body and bit her, causing her to fall to the ground. He then allegedly began to rape her.
The victim told police that once the assault was over, Jones let her get dressed and then he drove them back to his home.
Police said when she arrived back, she called a friend and got a ride home. Her mother then reportedly took her to a local emergency room to have a sexual assault forensic exam.
The report found trauma to the victim's vagina and anus, police said. The report also noted the victim had bruises on her arms, buttocks and inner thigh.
The victim told police that she couldn't defecate for three days after the assault.
John Jones at the White House, Jan. 11, 2019
