Former Sergeant Ernest Justin Blanchette was indicted on multiple counts of aggravated felonious sexual assault involving female inmates during transport between February 2013 and September 2014. He coerced inmates into sexual acts, including intercourse, and in some instances, forced inmates to engage in sexual activities with each other while he watched. Blanchette resigned from the Sheriff’s Department in August 2015 after being placed on paid administrative leave. In April 2016, he was convicted and sentenced to at least 10 years in prison. However, his conviction was overturned by the state Supreme Court on a technicality related to the wording of a state statute. A federal lawsuit filed by one of his alleged victims against Belknap County was dismissed in 2017, with the judge ruling that the county had not shown deliberate indifference regarding Blanchette’s behavior.

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