Officer details alleged prison sexual assault at Hall County Correctional Institution

Nick Watson, The Times, Gainesville, Ga.
·2 min read

Nov. 2—A Hall County Correctional Institution video shows an inmate passed out in his bunk being sexually assaulted by another inmate, according to testimony by an officer.

Antonio Pittman, who faces charges of aggravated sodomy, was in Magistrate Court Wednesday, Nov. 2, with attorney Kyle Denslow. Pittman was arrested Oct. 18 on charges he assaulted the inmate in a July 29 incident at the Gainesville prison.

According to the Georgia Department of Corrections, Pittman was most recently in the Washington State Prison in Davisboro, Georgia for a burglary case in Spalding County.

Officer Will Swartz took the stand as the only witness Wednesday at the probable cause hearing, detailing for the court a video showing an inmate passed out after 1 a.m. July 29 in the open dormitory.

Swartz said the inmate was lying face down on his bunk, and Pittman went to check on him.

The officer said the inmate tested positive for methamphetamine, but there was no identified source for the drugs.

Other inmates seemingly "chose to ignore it" Swartz said, as the video showed the alleged assault for roughly 20 minutes.

Later that day, someone told the victim what had happened to him, Swartz said.

"He did not take that lightly and he chose to pick a fight with Mr. Pittman," Swartz said.

The two men fought and were separated. After the fight, the victim told authorities he had been sexually assaulted, Swartz said.

Beyond his questions about the video evidence and reports, Denslow asked Swartz about inmates bartering and any exchanges seen before the alleged sexual assault.

"Have you ever had someone trade methamphetamine for sexual favors in the (prison)?" Denslow asked.

"It's quite rare," Swartz said.

When questioned again by Assistant District Attorney Harold Buckler, Swartz said he did not see any evidence of a drug exchange or consensual relationship between the two men.

Neither Denslow nor Buckler offered any argument to Magistrate Court Judge Andy Maddox, and Maddox moved the case on to Superior Court as charged.