Rape charges dropped against former sheriff's deputy accused of having non-consensual sex with jail inmate

Former deputy Bryant Pegues is accused of threatening the inmate with a pen before sexually assaulting her

It's unclear why prosecutors decided to drop the rape charge

Pegues still faces a felony count of carnal knowledge of an inmate

There is no mandatory prison sentence for the crime of carnal knowledge with an inmate

Prosecutors in Virginia have agreed to drop rape charges against a former sheriff's deputy who was fired last month amidst allegations that he had non-consensual sex with a female inmate while she was in custody at a county jail.

However, former Alexandria County deputy Bryant Pegues, 52, will still be charged with a felony count of carnal knowledge of an inmate.

It's unclear what caused the prosecutor to drop the rape charge, and the crime of carnal knowledge of an inmate does not come with a mandatory jail or prison sentence, which means Pegues could potentially be found guilty but not be incarcerated.



Fired: Bryant Pegues was terminated from the sheriff's office following allegations that he had sex with an inmate

Pegues was arrested May 27 after an inmate at the William G. Truesdale Adult Detention Center accused him of sexually assaulting her.

Prior to dropping the rape charge, Commonwealth’s Attorney Bryan Porter said Pegues used a pen to threaten the unidentified inmate as he raped her on the morning of his arrest.

According to Alexandria Sheriff Dana Lawhorne, the inmate told another deputy about the alleged rape shortly after it happened. The deputy then reported the rape to Lawhorne.



'[The inmate] did not hesitate...[to tell another] deputy, who immediately reported it and did the right thing,' Lawhorne told NBC Washington shortly after the incident was reported.

Following a brief investigation, Pegues - who has been with the sheriff's office since 2007 - was fired.



Lawhorne now says he's trying to determine whether there are other victims.



Pegues has worked as a deputy at the William G. Truesdale Adult Detention Center since 2007

'If he's done it before, and there's more than one [victim], let the chips fall where they may and it'll fall right on him,' Lawhorne - who says he knows the former deputy well - said.

After it was revealed that Pegues would not be charged with rape, Lawhorne said that he agreed with the prosecutor's decision.



'I agree with the decision of the Commonwealth’s Attorney to drop this charge,' Lawhorne said in a statement. 'The fact remains that he betrayed his duty to this Office and violated the public trust.'