A former Webb County corrections officer will spend the next two decades behind bars after using his position of authority to sexually assault female inmates in his custody, a federal judge ruled this week.
Hector Humberto Rodriguez Jr., 29, received a 240-month prison sentence for sexually assaulting two women inmates at the Webb County jail in January 2022, according to federal prosecutors. The former jailer had previously pleaded guilty to violating the civil rights of the women through sexual assault while working for the Webb County Sheriff’s Department in Laredo, Texas.
During the sentencing, U.S. District Judge Diana Saldaña didn’t mince words about the betrayal of public trust. “Rodriguez exploited his position of authority to abuse a system designed to protect victims,” the judge emphasized, as reported in court documents.
Badge as a Weapon
What makes this case particularly disturbing? The former corrections officer essentially “used his badge to terrorize and sexually assault women inmates under his watch,” as detailed in coverage of the sentencing. Rodriguez’s actions represented a fundamental betrayal of the corrections system’s responsibility to maintain safety for those in custody.
U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei announced the sentencing after Rodriguez entered his guilty plea on December 30, 2024, according to a statement from the Department of Justice. The sentencing released by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas detailed the former jailer’s admission to the assaults.
Court records show that Rodriguez worked as a correctional officer with the Webb County Sheriff’s Department at the time of the incidents, positioning him in direct authority over vulnerable inmates. His guilty plea acknowledged both the sexual assaults and the civil rights violations against the two women.
Pattern of Predatory Behavior
The case has sent shockwaves through the Laredo community and raised serious questions about oversight within the corrections system. Rodriguez’s 20-year federal sentence reflects the gravity of his crimes against women who were literally locked in cells under his supervision, as noted in local coverage.
“This kind of predatory behavior from someone sworn to uphold the law represents one of the most serious betrayals of public trust,” said a victims’ advocate familiar with the case. “The women in his custody had absolutely nowhere to escape.”
The Department of Justice confirmed that Rodriguez had been employed by the Webb County Sheriff’s Department during the period when the sexual assaults occurred, highlighting concerns about vetting and supervision within the department.
For the victims, the sentencing represents only a partial closure to their ordeal. While Rodriguez will spend the next two decades in federal prison, the psychological impact of his abuse of power will likely last far longer for those he victimized while they were at their most vulnerable — behind bars and under his control.
