California Prison Chaplain Who Sexually Abused Inmates in Prison Gets 7 Years

The Federal Correctional Institution in Dublin, California has become so infamous for sexual abuse that prisoners and workers alike have nicknamed the prison "the rape club." Now, one of the five employees responsible for the various cases of sexual abuse in the institution has been sentenced to seven years in prison.

Prison Chaplain James Theodore Highhouse served as the chaplain for the Federal Correctional Institution, and he was the first of the five accused prison employees to be sentenced. He later apologized to the women he harmed.

According to the Associated Press, Highhouse forced inmates to have sex with him inside his chapel office. Many of the women came to him for spiritual guidance. However, the chaplain exploited their faith and their powerlessness for his own sexual gratification.

Highhouse was originally recommended for a sentence of fewer than three years. However, U.S. District Judge Haywood S. Gilliam Jr. disagreed, saying that the recommendation "seriously underestimate[s] the seriousness" of the chaplain's conduct. Therefore, the judge doubled the sentence and gave him seven years.

His prison sentence will begin on November 2, and after he completes his 7-year prison sentence, he must register as a sex offender.

James Theodore Highhouse Used the Bible To Make Prisoners Have Sex With Him

The chaplain was arrested in January and first pleaded guilty to his charges in February. According to court documents, he told inmates that everyone in the Bible had sex. He also told those he abused, "God wanted them to be together."

One incident happened on Veterans Day. Highhouse is an Army veteran himself, and he told one inmate that she "needed to serve her country" and forced her to have sex with him. That same inmate was also forced to have sex with him on Thanksgiving, as he told her that she needed to show her gratitude for him.

Prosecutors have alleged that he engaged in predatory conduct with at least six women between 2014 and 2019. One of these women was someone he counseled before working for the prison. However, he has only been charged with sexually abusing one so far.

One inmate said that the chaplain ruined her life and that he is why she does not want to go to church anymore. The chaplain also enabled the toxic culture and cover-ups within the prison.

Federal Correctional Institution Dublin's Other Sexual Predators

The possible ring leader of the rampant sexual abuse in Dublin was former warden Ray Garcia. He was arrested last September and is already facing prison for multiple sexual abuse charges. He previously boasted that he could not be fired and intimidated inmates with his authority, often forcing them to strip as he conducted his "inspections."

Another is Ross Klinger, 36, who has already pleaded guilty to sexually abusing at least two inmates. The San Diego Union-Tribune reported that another prison inmate reported his actions. Another accused is prison safety administrator John Russell Bellhouse, who allegedly sexually abused an inmate he called his "girlfriend."

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Rick Martin

WATCH: Dublin prison guard says she was forced out for reporting abuse