CAMPBELL COUNTY, Ky. — A former Northern Kentucky corrections officer has been accused of sexual abusing teenage girls who were being held in a Newport juvenile facility, according to Campbell County court documents.
Neil Moorman, 30, had a bench warrant issued for his arrest after he wasn't present in court Tuesday, May 21. He was taken into custody Tuesday.
Moorman is facing two counts of sexual abuse, which is a felony in the first degree.
According to court records, Moorman, who was a corrections officer at the Campbell Regional Juvenile Detention Center in Newport, sexually abused two minors from April 16, 2023 to May 31, 2023.
In November, Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear said the Newport facility needed "a lot of improvement."
State officials announced only males would be housed at the Newport facility. This came after officials announced in June all girls housed in Newport would be moved to the detention center in Ashland. The Newport facility was a female-only facility for all of six months before the state announced changes.
On May 15, the U.S. Justice Department announced it will be examining conditions in multiple Kentucky youth detention centers, according to a report from the Associated Press. The statewide investigation will review eight youth detention centers and one youth development center run by the Kentucky Department of Juvenile Justice.
The investigation will be examining whether the facilities' juveniles faced excessive force by staff as well as prolonged isolation, violence and sexual abuse, the Justice Department said.
In January, Kentucky Auditor Allison Ball found multiple issues with the Commonwealth's juvenile facilities.
“We are launching this investigation to ensure that children in Kentucky youth detention facilities are safe from harm, receive adequate mental health care and get appropriate special education services," Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke said in a statement. "All children held in the custody of the state deserve safe and humane conditions that can bring about true rehabilitation and reform.”
