Former Santa Barbara County Jail employee pleads guilty to sexual assault of multiple female inmates
SANTA BARBARA, Calif.– 36-year-old Salvador Vargas pled guilty as charged to the sexual assault of several female inmates while employed at Santa Barbara County Jail over the course of two years, announced the Santa Barbara District Attorney's Office Tuesday.
Vargas worked at Santa Barbara County Jail as a discharge planner between 2016 to 2018 where he abused inmates.
In a specific 2017 incident, Vargas while transporting a released female inmate forced them to perform oral sex upon their release. In fear of being sent back to jail by Vargas, the inmate complied and didn't report to police due to the possible repercussions the inmate would receive if they came forward.
A combined effort from both the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Department and the Santa Barbara County District Attorney’s Office led to obtaining corroborating evidence of this incident and numerous other situations of sexual abuse.
DA Joyce Dudley said, "On the eve of trial, the defendant decided to plead guilty to all charges and allegations, and be sentenced by the court. The guilty plea in this case was not a result of any plea bargain offered by the Prosecution, but rather was the result of an extraordinary investigation by two law enforcement agencies and a caring and hardworking prosecution team.”
Sentencing is scheduled for January 24, 2023 in Department 1 of the Santa Barbara Superior Court, in front of The Honorable Judge Thomas Adams. Vargas is facing a maximum sentence of 8 years in state prison and a lifetime on the sex offender registration.
