The former sheriff of Montague County has admitted to sexually assaulting a woman after promising her he wouldn't arrest her when deputies found drug paraphernalia in her house.

Bill Keating, whose term as sheriff ended Jan.1, agreed Friday to plead guilty to a federal charge of deprivation of civil rights under color of law after he confessed to authorities that he had forced the woman to give him oral sex following a drug raid on Nov. 14, 2008.

Keating is expected to turn himself in at a hearing at 10:30 a.m. Thursday before Magistrate Judge R. Kerry Roach in Wichita Falls. His attorney, Mark Daniel of Fort Worth, declined to comment Monday.

The FBI and Texas Rangers are investigating further allegations of sexual misconduct by Keating and other former Montague County employees at the jail, and state charges could result, officials said.

"The citizens of the county will be chagrined at what's going to be shown," said Montague County District Attorney Jack McGaughey. He said by mid-February he expects to have secured indictments against the former sheriff as well as up to a dozen former jail personnel and prisoners alleging sexual misconduct inside the jail.

According to court papers filed Monday, on the morning of Nov. 14, Keating and some of his deputies executed an arrest warrant at a home occupied by a woman and her boyfriend.

Keating, wearing civilian clothes but with his gun and badge on his belt, entered the bedroom and found the couple sleeping. Deputies found paraphernalia used to make methamphetamine, and traces of what appeared to be meth in a plastic container.

Keating directed his deputies to arrest the boyfriend, then ordered another deputy to leave the bedroom.

"You are about to be my new best friend," he told the woman after she had gotten dressed and he had closed the door, according to court documents.

He told the woman that he found illegal drugs in her house and that "in order to avoid going to jail, she would be required to ‘assist' him," or perform oral sex on him, court documents state.

Keating told the woman that "if she complied... he would assist her in obtaining a job, a place to live and she would not be criminally charged with possessing any drugs or drug making equipment that was found within the residence," court documents state.

If she did not comply, "she would go straight to jail," court documents state.

Keating then took the woman to his personal vehicle, which was parked outside. He drove her to a secluded area off a farm to market road and parked.

"He unzipped his pants, instructed [the victim] to perform oral sex on him, and grabbed the back of her neck and pushed her head down into his lap causing her pain and bodily injury," court papers state.

The sheriff later admitted to federal authorities that he had the woman perform oral sex on him "on multiple occasions" and agree to be a Montague County sheriff's department informant.

If convicted of the federal charge, Keating faces up to 10 years in prison and up to a $250,000 fine.

"What a jerk," said Paul Cunningham, who replaced Keating as sheriff this year, after learning the specifics of the federal charge Monday afternoon. "There ain't no other way to put it."

dallasnews.com