CLARK COUNTY, Ind. (WDRB) -- The Clark County Sheriff said surveillance video proves allegations of sexual assaults inside the jail are false.

But defense attorneys believe evidence of a pregnancy and an STD prove otherwise. 

Right now, more than two dozen women have filed lawsuits, including a civil rights lawsuit, in the case. Twenty-eight women allege they were harassed, threatened and sexually assaulted while being housed at the Clark County Jail by male inmates who were sold a key to access their dorms from former jail officer David Lowe last October. The lawsuits also allege at least two women were raped and that the jail punished the women after the incident by confiscating their blankets and pillows and denying them normal privileges. 

In an attempt to refute those claims, Clark County Sheriff Jamey Noel created a "Clark County Facts" website, devoted to showing people "the truth about what happened in the early morning hours of October 24th." A central figure of the website will be "busting myths and correcting the numerous lies being told by showing what really happened," according to a statement on the website's homepage.

On the site, Noel writes that "liars have been caught red-handed," dismissing the claim that 28 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 released on the website on Tuesday, 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. 

"I think his spokesman equated it to a panty raid," said Jeffersonville Attorney Perry McCall III. 

McCall filed a lawsuit on behalf of 20 of the female inmates who say they were sexually assaulted.

"We are confident that these ladies were telling the truth, and they were genuine in what happened to them," he said. "Based on the website, 90% of my case has been proven."

Attorney Larry Wilder is representing Noel. He said earlier this week that a hard drive proves the claims are false.

"That the United States Marshal has, that the FBI has, that the prosecutor has, 44 interviews of 44 individuals that were incarcerated," Wilder said. 

Wilder also said that the video shows "what didn't happen," but McCall said it shows that the male inmates did enter the women's dorm.

"What I do know about what's been presented by Mr. Wilder and Mr. Noel in their response in their facts website is they've established that the males did enter the female pod," he said. 

McCall said he can also prove one of the female inmates was raped.

"How she presented an issue to the jail was that she believed that she had contracted a sexually transmitted disease. She was treated," he said. "My client will testify that, as a result of what happened to her in the jail, that she became pregnant, and that she was there for six months prior to the assault."

McCall said the woman was "in panic mode," because they requested her to get an ultrasound.

"She panicked," he said. "She said 'I don't want to hear this baby's heartbeat."

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

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. 

"We are in the process of reviewing all of the information that was on that hard drive," Clark County Prosecutor Jeremy Mull said.

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

"Women who have been subjected to rape or have been subjected to sexual abuse sometimes don't come forward," McCall said. "They feel ashamed. They feel guilty in some way and it doesn't come out until they're in a more comfortable setting."

The "Clark County Facts" website promises more releases, however the footage contains several gaps, noticed in time changes on the clock. Nonetheless, it's the administration's way of firing back after a demonstration by Clark County Democrats this week calling for the resignations of Noel, Chief Deputy Scotty Maples and the jail commanders.

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