A prison guard is in jail charged with raping an inmate at Lee Arrendale State Prison. Authorities arrested Cameron Larenzo Cheeks, 24, of Stone Mountain, on December 8 and charged him with rape and violating his oath of office.
According to the arrest warrants, Cheeks allegedly forcibly raped an inmate in the showers. The victim suffered physical trauma as a result of the assault, officials say.
The alleged rape occurred on the evening of December 5 in Building A’s A-Unit at the prison in Alto. The Georgia Department of Corrections fired Cheeks from his job as a Correctional Officer I on December 7, says GDC Public Affairs Director Joan Heath.
Cheeks had worked at Lee Arrendale State Prison since July 1, 2022.
“The Georgia Department of Corrections maintains a zero-tolerance policy for individuals who choose to ignore their oath and jeopardize our non-negotiable mission of public safety and the safe operations of our facilities, as evidenced by our swift action to terminate this individual,” Heath tells Now Habersham. “It is important to note that his actions do not reflect the hundreds of officers who are committed each and every day to their oath and to our mission.”
The Habersham County Sheriff’s Office took Cheeks into custody on December 8 and booked him at the county jail, where he remains without bond.
