ANDERSON COUNTY, Tenn. — A former Anderson County Sheriff's Office corrections officer was arrested after an investigation found he had child sex abuse material and brought contraband into the Anderson County Detention Center, District Attorney General Dave Clark said.
David Antonio Berruquin, a 28-year-old, was taken into custody on Saturday, April 13, by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation and charged with possession of a telecommunications device in a penal institution and sexual exploitation of a minor, Clark said.
The investigation into Berruquin began after a female prisoner complained to another ACSO employee that he had sexually assaulted her in her jail cell, according to Clark.
The prisoner's complaint was passed along to Anderson County Sheriff Russell Barker who contacted Clark. Clark said he then requested that the TBI investigate the claims.
When the investigation started, Berruquin was placed on administrative leave without pay. He has now been fired from ACSO, according to Clark.
Berruquin was transported to the detention facility, and housed in an isolated cell for his safety. His bond was set at $100,000 and he bonded out the same day he was arrested, Clark said.
Berruquin remains free pending an arraignment on April 23. Clark said he does expect more charges will be filed in the coming days or weeks.
"It's a somber day when we have to arrest one of our own, but it also demonstrates the conviction here that nobody is above the law and that the law enforcement community has a tradition of policing the behavior of officers in Anderson County as part of our oath and commitment to justice," Clark said.
On the same day Berruquin was arrested, the Clinton Police Department's SWAT team assisted the TBI in conducting a related search warrant at another Clinton address.