Deputy sued in alleged abuse
Woman accuses him of promising help with criminal charge in exchange for sex
A Harris County sheriff ’s deputy fired for inappropriate sexual contact with a woman arrested on a drunken driving charge is now facing a federal lawsuit.
Ex-deputy Victor Mora, who pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of official oppression last year and surrendered his peace officer’s license, is accused of coercing the woman into having sex by promising to help her with her criminal case, the lawsuit claims.
The suit — which accuses Mora, the county and the sheriff’s department of violating the woman’s constitutional rights — is the second lawsuit against the sheriff ’s office in recent weeks alleging sexual misconduct by its employees.
The latest lawsuit stems from a September 2016 incident that resulted in the termination of Mora following an internal affairs investigation and the filing of criminal charges. The encounter had a long-lasting impact on the woman, said Houston attorney Eric Nielsen, who is representing her.
“She can barely talk about the incident without crying,” he said. “She feels very ashamed.”
Court records show the woman was arrested on suspicion of drunk driving Sept. 24, 2016, by a Harris County sheriff’s deputy. According to Mora’s disciplinary paperwork, he met the woman
after she was arrested and brought to the department’s Clay Road substation in west Harris County.
According to the disciplinary records, while the woman was in a holding cell, Mora signaled to her he wanted her to show him her breasts. They chatted and the woman gave him her number, according to the records, which also show Mora said he “may” have looked up the woman’s information on the jail’s Justice Information Management System.
Offered to ‘fix case’
After the woman posted bond, Mora called her, according to the lawsuit and disciplinary records.
“Defendant MORA called Plaintiff repeatedly and stated that if Plaintiff agreed to meet him, MORA would get Plaintiff’s car out of impound and ‘help her’ with her ongoing DWI case,” the suit alleges.
The woman met Mora in the parking lot of a local discount store, where the deputy kissed and made “unwarranted and unwanted” sexual advances toward the woman, telling her that he liked her and if she “gave Mora ‘what he wanted’ that Mora would ‘fix the (criminal) case’ and make it go away.”
“Terrified that Defendant Mora could harm her criminal case if she refused, Plaintiff reluctantly submitted to sexual intercourse with Defendant Mora at a hotel that Mora had previously selected,” according to the suit.
Mora told the woman that if she wanted his help, she would have to have sex with him several more times, the suit says.
After the encounter, the woman realized Mora’s actions were “oppressive, predatory, illegal, and possibly dangerous,” and changed her number.
After learning of the allegations months later, the sheriff ’s office substantiated the woman’s complaint, records show. A termination letter sent to Mora dated Feb. 15, 2017, shows he was fired for violating the agency’s internal policies.
The disciplinary paperwork shows Mora admitted to contacting the woman several times.
Internal investigators noted that Mora denied directly promising to help her in exchange for sex, but that the woman’s polygraph indicated she was telling the truth when she told investigators she had not lied.
“Your conduct … is grossly unprofessional, represents poor judgment, and can only be characterized as a blatant disregard, if not outright contempt, for Sheriff’s Office policy as it related to fraternization,” officials wrote in the termination letter.
Surrendered license
Mora appealed the firing, which was upheld by Sheriff Ed Gonzalez. The woman’s DWI charge was later dismissed.
In September 2017, Mora pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor count of official oppression and was allowed to enter pre-trial intervention, which means he will not be convicted of a crime if he completes probation. He was required to surrender his peace officer’s license, court records show.
Jason Spencer, a spokesman for the Harris County Sheriff ’s Office, declined to comment, citing the pending lawsuit.
“The termination letter speaks for itself,” he said.
The suit seeks unspecified damages in the hopes of preventing future misconduct.
“They only way they make changes is when it costs them money,” said Nielsen, the woman’s attorney.