Deputy gets probation for exposing himself to dispatcher and harassing her ‘for hours on end’
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DRIGGS — A local victim of workplace sexual harassment says she is disappointed after her abuser, a former Teton County Sheriff’s Deputy, was given supervised probation for exposing himself to her at work “for hours.”
Troy Dameron, was sentenced Wednesday by District Judge Daniel Clark to 15 days in local jail and two years of supervised probation.
Dameron will also pay $1,157.50 in court fees and fines.
He initially pleaded not guilty to misdemeanor indecent exposure but changed his plea to guilty Wednesday.
Bonneville County Prosecutor Randy Neal, the special prosecutor in the case, argued for Dameron to serve 90 days in jail.
After the sentencing, the victim spoke with EastIdahoNews.com and expressed her disappointment over the outcome.
“I am just pretty disappointed by the sentencing and how little he got. I think he deserved at least three months in jail. The work release is especially disappointing that he can just leave and go to work,” the victim told EastIdahoNews.com. “I just want to include my disappointment toward the Teton County Sheriff’s Office administration, Bonneville County Prosecutor Randy Neal, and Judge Daniel Clark.”
Sentencing details and background
On Aug. 28, a Bingham County Sheriff’s detective and a Caribou County Sheriff’s detective were asked to investigate a complaint regarding Deputy Dameron with the Teton County Sheriff’s Office.
According to court documents, the victim, a Teton County emergency communications dispatcher, reported Dameron exposed his genitals to her, made several sexual comments, and masturbated “in plain view” during work.
Dameron resigned from his position at the Sheriff’s office during the investigation.
Before sentencing, multiple members of the victim’s family provided letters of support to try to persuade the judge to give Dameron a harsher sentence.
The letters indicate Dameron was alone with the victim at the police station and prevented her from leaving. One family member wrote the victim was sexually harassed “for hours on end.”
“(The victim) was alone with this miscreant for the entire nighttime shift with nobody else in the building,” says the family member. “Dameron was armed, evading cameras, and able to manipulate the situation so his depraved exploitation and intimidation was not detected.”
Another letter indicates Dameron’s presence was threatening, and that the victim continues to experience PTSD.
“(Dameron) had two guns, knives, a taser and handcuffs on his person,” says the letter. “(The victim) was unable to leave her post, and he had planned this. She had to endure his ranting and sick sexual fantasies for hours, ending with him exposing himself and masturbating in front of her.”
During sentencing, a statement written by the victim was read, explaining the trauma she experienced and how she believes it will continue to affect her.
“In the days after the incident, my entire body felt like it had been in a car accident because of how tense I was for the several hours that Dameron was in the dispatch center,” writes the victim. “Every muscle in my body was sore simply from being so uncomfortable and scared that he would hurt me for so many agonizing hours.”
The victim writes about the agonizing moment she realized she couldn’t call for help.
“I will never forget realizing that I couldn’t even call 911. I knew that my name would come up on the caller ID displayed on the screen and I wouldn’t be able to create a realistic false emergency to send him to,” writes the victim. “That’s even if I was able to call 911 discretely and pretend I was talking to someone. I also wasn’t willing to risk asking him to leave and risk him refusing. Instead, I endured his twisted fantasies until he was satisfied.”
She continued, saying she couldn’t leave even if she wanted to, as there would be nobody there to answer the phone if someone called 911.
“I knew that if I left the dispatch center, there would be no one to answer 911 if it rang,” writes the victim. “The helplessness I could imagine from someone calling 911 and no one answering would be too selfish of me to risk. Knowing that feeling myself, I wouldn’t wish it on anyone.”
A relative of Dameron’s also wrote a letter, stating he is a father, husband and dedicated community member.
“In admitting to his actions (Dameron) has demonstrated courage and integrity. He understands the gravity of his mistake and the harm it has caused, not only to his coworker, (the victim), but also to his family,” states the relative. “The loss of respect and admiration from his fellow law enforcement community, coupled with the hardship and embarrassment inflicted upon our family, weighs heavily on him.”