A mother claims she was groped by a family court officer in a room with no witnesses, but she ended up in handcuffs. INSIDE EDITION has the story.
It's a story that is certain to outrage America.
A young mom claims she was groped by a court officer, but she's the one who ended up in handcuffs. She was hauled off to a cell as the judge literally looked the other way.
The case was just exposed by Las Vegas station KLAS-TV 's investigative reporter Nathan Baca.
Baca told INSIDE EDITION, "This woman's plea that a court marshal, a family court marshal, sexually molested her in within a side room of the courtroom, inside the court house, it just goes almost beyond belief."
Monica Contreras was in family court for what she thought was going to be a routine divorce hearing.
Out of the blue, Monica said a court officer asked her to step into another room to be searched. She claims when they were alone he touched her breasts and buttocks.
Back in the courtroom, she told the judge what happened.
She said, "I think I’d rather have a female in here. And he went anyway. I was just offended by it. I was offended that he asked me to do that."
Then, an incredible scene takes place. After Monica told the judge what happened behind closed doors the court officer who allegedly groped her has her put inhandcuffs by another court officer right in open court.
The officer said, "Ok, so the story stands? Handcuff her."
Monica couldn’t believe what was happening to her.
She said, "For what, sir? Ok, it was. Why would I be arrested? Can you please tell me?"
The officer ordered, "Turn around, put your hands behind your back."
She asked, "Can you please tell me?"
The officer ordered again, "Because of false allegations made against a police officer.”
Surprised, she said, "What!"
The officer, identified as Ronald Fox, tries to hurry things along.
He said, "Jimmy, I’ve got court, I still have to do this, so arrest her, I take the kid, we're done."
She said, "Why would you do that to me, sir?"
Monica tried to stop the unfolding nightmare.
She said, "Let me go. It was all lies. I don't want to do anything. It was all lies, all lies, all lies, all lies. Please stop."
Another officer said, "We can do this the easy way, we can do this the hard way."
Then, Monica was told she'll be let go, if she recants. She agreed. Pushing her stroller, she approached the microphone. But she can’t do it.
She said, "He asked me to lift up my shirt without a, without a witness. You asked me to lift, you asked me to lift my shirt without a witness."
Monica pleaded with the judge, Patricia Doninger, but the judge ignored her. She was too busy playing with Monica’s two-year-old daughter.
Monica said, "How could you do this to me? How could you watch? How could you watch?"
Baca told INSIDE EDITION, "You see this woman pleading for someone to listen to her."
Even the little girl tries to come to mommy's rescue.
Her daughter said, "Sir, don't take momma."
Monica kissed her daughter and was handcuffed and given a citation for resisting arrest.
In an interview with KLAS-TV, she asked that her face be blurred.
She said, "I just hope I did the right thing by telling internal affairs."
The court officer denies any wrongdoing and is suing county officials for wrongful termination.
