SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — A former detainee at the Otay Mesa Detention Center has filed a lawsuit against the facility's operator, CoreCivic, alleging sexual assault by a guard in 2023.
The 30-page lawsuit, filed last month, accuses CoreCivic of sexual battery, negligence, and sexual harassment. The plaintiff, identified only as John Roe in court documents, was detained at the facility from 2023 to 2024 while awaiting immigration proceedings.
"Coming forward against such a powerful entity, such as CoreCivic, is not an easy thing to do," said Katie Llamas, the attorney representing Roe.
Llamas leads the sexual assault and sex trafficking team at San Diego-based law firm Singleton Schreiber. According to the lawsuit, her client was the victim of rape, sexual abuse, sexual harassment, sexual assault, and sexual battery by a correctional officer.
The documents claim the incident occurred after an inmate count, when the correctional officer took the detainee into a room with a camera-free blind spot for an unwarranted strip search.
"He was sexually assaulted by a guard that was supposed to be protecting him," Llamas said.
According to the lawsuit, during the search, Doe was wearing a sling due to a dislocated shoulder when he was ordered to remove his pants and boxers. The lawsuit claims the guard made inappropriate sexual comments to the detainee before getting down and rubbing his face on the detainee's genitals.
As the man pushed back and tried to put his pants back on, the complaint alleges the officer grabbed Doe and orally abused him.
"Our client suffered severe trauma and continues to suffer severe trauma. He has suffered from PTSD, anxiety, multiple suicide attempts," Llamas said.
CoreCivic sent ABC 10News the following statement when contacted for comment about the lawsuit:
"As a general policy and out of respect for the legal process, we do not comment on active or pending litigation, but what I can share is that we take seriously our obligation to adhere to all applicable federal detention standards in all our U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) contracted facilities, including Otay Mesa Detention Center (OMDC). All our immigration facilities operate with a significant amount of oversight and accountability, including being monitored by ICE officials on a daily basis. OMDC, as with all our immigration facilities, are audited regularly and without notice several times a year, and we’re routinely visited by elected officials, attorneys, families and volunteers.
CoreCivic is committed to the safety and dignity of every person entrusted to our care. We have a zero-tolerance policy for all forms of sexual abuse and sexual harassment. To ensure we are in full compliance with the Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA), all staff receive pre-service and in-service education and training, and all inmates receive PREA education beginning at initial reception and continuing while they are with us. Anyone can report an allegation or suspected incident of sexual abuse or harassment, including inmates, staff or third parties. There are multiple options to report allegations including (but not limited to), notifying a staff member either in writing or verbally, writing the facility warden, and using the PREA hotline numbers posted in our facilities."
Llamas said her client's case is not an isolated incident. In April of 2025, ABC 10News' Team 10 reported on dozens of sexual abuse incidents inside the detention facility dating back to 2023, with two involving staff members found to be substantiated.
Llamas says this lawsuit is about accountability, not only for Llamas' client but for others who have come forward and those who have not.
"This isn't about just one officer or one survivor or one incident, but it's about a culture of neglect," Llamas said.
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