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Inmate charged with sexual assault

ELKINS — A Tygarts Valley Regional Jail inmate is facing a felony charge and is accused of sexually assaulting another inmate.

Clayton Matthew Carpenter, 22, is charged with one felony count of second-degree sexual assault. His bond was set at $50,000 cash or surety by Randolph County Chief Magistrate Rob Elbon.

According to a criminal complaint filed in Randolph County Magistrate Court, at approximately 6 p.m. on Nov. 8, Senior Trooper C.E. Elliott, of the West Virginia State Police, received a call from TVRJ officials that an inmate had been sexually assaulted by Carpenter earlier the same day.

TVRJ officials told Elliott the alleged victim was on his way to United Hospital Center, in Bridgeport, to be treated for injuries sustained in the incident. Approximately 45 minutes later, Elliott received a call from a sexual assault nurse examiner, who told him the alleged victim had bruising to his face and rectum, according to the complaint.

At approximately 9 p.m. on Nov. 11, Elliott interviewed the alleged victim, who he noted had a bruised left eye. In a recorded statement, the alleged victim said while he was in his holding cell, Carpenter approached him, claiming the alleged victim owed him money. Carpenter also threatened to kill him if he was not repaid, the complaint states.

The alleged victim told Elliott he was scared of Carpenter because he had been physically abusive in the past and had struck him previously. He said he believed there were several other inmates in the holding cell at the time but was unsure if any of them had witnessed the alleged sexual assault. However, he told police one inmate saw him being struck by Carpenter, according to the complaint.

The alleged victim told police the incident took place near the toilet area of the cell. He said Carpenter held his head, choked him and forced him to perform oral sex on him, before performing oral sex on the alleged victim. The alleged victim said Carpenter told him he would kill him if he yelled or stopped performing oral sex on him, the complaint stated.

Carpenter then attempted to have sexual intercourse with the alleged victim but was unsuccessful, according to the criminal complaint.

Approximately 40 minutes later, Elliott conducted an interview of Carpenter, who denied having sexual contact with the alleged victim but admitted to striking him in the face with his fist. After further questioning, Carpenter also admitted to he and the alleged victim performing oral sex on one another. He said the alleged victim requested sexual intercourse but he declined, according to the complaint.

Elliott then spoke with an inmate who said Carpenter had previously made sexual advances toward him, including offering to show him his genitals in exchange for two packs of Raman noodles, the complaint states. He added he had performed oral sex on Carpenter in exchange for food on two separate occasions but had never been violent toward him.

Elliott also interviewed another inmate who was allegedly present in the cell when the sexual assault took place. That inmate said he had seen Carpenter act violently toward the alleged victim in the past. He added he witnessed Carpenter strike the alleged victim, court documents state.

After interviewing the other inmates, Elliott again interviewed the alleged victim, who reiterated the sexual contact was not consensual. He added he did not seek help or fight Carpenter off because he was scared, the complaint states.

If convicted, Carpenter could be sentenced to not less than 10 nor more than 25 years in the state penitentiary, fined not less than $1,000 nor more than $10,000, or both.

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