A Gothamist investigation has turned up disturbing allegations against one prison guard in particular at Rikers Island who is accused in two dozen lawsuits of raping and sexually abusing female inmates over a span of decades. The inmates knew by him the nickname of "Champagne," but he has been identified as corrections officer Keith Fant, who worked at Rikers from the 1980s until retirement in 2005. Fant, now collecting a $45,000 annual pension, denies any wrongdoing. "I know that's a lot of people and I know it raises eyebrows, but I never, I have not touched anybody inside Rosie's," he tells Gothamist, referring to Rikers' Rose M. Singer women's prison. "The only thing I can think of is maybe they're trying to get some money."
The women tell a much different story, alleging that Fant assaulted them again and again, over a period of years, in secluded areas. They say he would coerce them to perform sex acts under threat of solitary confinement or lost privileges that could jeopardize early release. One of the women says Fant impregnated her, leading to a bathroom miscarriage and a trip to the hospital. The accusers are among more than 700 women who have filed suits over the last year alleging abuse at Rikers. Gothamist has found more than 20 jail staffers' names who have shown up in multiple lawsuits, "suggesting that Rikers Island had several serial sex abusers on its payroll," writes Jessy Edwards. And the kicker: "In almost every case, it appears officials have done little, if anything, to investigate the women's stories and hold the alleged attackers accountable." (Read the full story.)
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