LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- The Clark County sheriff continues to refute claims that more than two dozen women were sexually assaulted inside the county jail.

Jamey Noel released a video Thursday on his new "Clark County Facts" website discussing the allegations.

The sheriff said while "no active, ongoing investigation underway," he doesn't have evidence that sexual assault took place and claims more than 40 female inmates said no one was assaulted.  

"We also uncovered evidence during those interviews, through phone calls, jail-based text messages, that several female inmates threatened and intimidated other female inmates to lie about what happened and to join their lawsuit," Noel said. "Some female inmates talked about using this as a potential lawsuit to get their get out of jail free card, while others talked about lying in order to get big payouts. Some female inmates repeatedly told their loved ones that nothing happened, over the pone or jail-based text messaging, and then dramatically changed their story later."

Twenty-eight women have filed lawsuits, claiming they were harassed, threatened and sexually assaulted while being housed at the Clark County Jail in October 2021 after former jail officer David Lowe allegedly sold male inmates keys to the female dorms on his last day on the job.

Former Clark County jail officer David Lowe.jpeg

Former Clark County Jail officer David Lowe is accused of selling keys to male inmates who then accessed female dorms. 

"And (Lowe) was leaving the facility," Noel's attorney, Larry Wilder, said Monday. "He made his deal with those inmates so he could access the key. You can't control a criminal inside your organization as the sheriff's department because you don't know you've hired someone who is a criminal. (Lowe) had resigned. ... and he was leaving the facility."

Noel called the accusations "blatantly false," and said none of the women have reported the alleged assaults to investigators.

Some surveillance video of the night in question has been released on the "Clark County Facts" website, which Noel started "to shoot down the lies and deliver transparency to the community."

On the site, Noel writes that "liars have been caught red-handed," dismissing the claim that the women were terrorized by showing 60 seconds of video as male inmates walked into one of the female inmate pods.

A civil rights lawsuit filed in July on behalf of eight female inmates claims the men entered the pod before midnight, but the sheriff refutes that claim with a 49-second clip saying they actually came in after 2 a.m. and that the women in question don't show signs of distress.

Another 11-second clip, recorded more than 30 minutes later, shows two men with towels wrapped around their heads leaving the women's pod. 

Clark County Jail surveillance video.jpeg

The Clark County Sheriff's Office released surveillance footage on Tuesday, Aug. 16, 2022, trying to refute claims that dozens of female inmates were harassed, threatened and sexually assaulted while being housed at the jail.

At least two women have claimed in lawsuits that they were raped and that the jail punished the women after the incident by confiscating their blankets and pillows and denying them normal privileges. 

Wilder said the video shows "what didn't happen" and "does not indicate that there was any sexual assault."

But attorneys representing the women in the various lawsuits have said they have evidence that proves Noel wrong, including a pregnancy and STD.

Earlier this week, Clark County Democrats called for the resignations of Noel, Chief Deputy Scotty Maples and the jail commanders.

The only person charged in the case is former jail officer Lowe, who allegedly sold a key to the male inmates and was later arrested. 

When asked if he expected anyone else to face charges in the case, Clark County Prosecutor Jeremy Mull said Monday he's yet to see any evidence to support charging anyone with sex crimes in the case.

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