Federal prosecutors say three former Arkansas juvenile detention officers have been indicted for allegedly conspiring to assault at least four juvenile inmates.
Acting U.S. Attorney Patrick Harris announced Friday that a grand jury had indicted 26-year-old Will Ray, 47-year-old Thomas Farris and 42-year-old Jason Benton.
Investigators say the assaults took place at the White River Juvenile Detention Center in Batesville between 2012 and 2013.
The men are accused of allegedly pepper spraying a 17-year-old boy in the face; choking and shoving a 16-year-old and grabbing a 14-year-old boy who was asleep in his bunk and pepper-spraying his face.
Harris says none of the juveniles posed a physical threat to anyone at the time they were allegedly assaulted.
Federal court records did not list attorneys for the former officers.
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