SPRINGFIELD, Mo. — A woman has filed a federal civil lawsuit against a former corrections officer at the Greene County Jail, alleging he sexually assaulted her multiple times over a two-day period while she was in custody in 2023.
The lawsuit names Alejandro Lopez, who was arrested in October 2023 and later pleaded guilty to four misdemeanor charges — two counts of attempted sexual conduct while on duty and two counts of fourth-degree assault. According to court documents, Lopez was accused of watching female inmates shower, inappropriately touching them, and exposing himself.
Lopez, who had been employed at the jail since 2022, was sentenced on May 16 to 60 days in jail, two years of probation, and 40 hours of community service. Three other charges were dropped as part of a plea agreement.
The civil complaint was filed by Victoria Eby, the woman whose report to the Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA) hotline ultimately led to Lopez’s arrest. Eby is seeking damages for emotional trauma, alleging that she continues to suffer symptoms consistent with post-traumatic stress disorder as a result of the incidents.
According to the lawsuit, Eby was arrested on a misdemeanor charge in October 2023 and placed in the jail’s segregation unit due to staff shortages, rather than the standard intake area. While in segregation, where movement and communication are highly restricted, she alleges Lopez repeatedly harassed and assaulted her.
Court filings claim Lopez watched Eby while she showered, groped her buttocks, made inappropriate sexual remarks while touching himself over his clothing, and eventually exposed himself to her. The lawsuit also states he stood over her during phone calls to prevent her from reporting the abuse.
After Eby was moved to another housing unit, she learned about the PREA hotline from a fellow inmate and reported Lopez's conduct. Federal law under PREA prohibits cross-gender viewing of inmates by staff except under emergency circumstances, a policy reflected in jail regulations obtained via Missouri’s Sunshine Law.
Eby’s lawsuit includes two federal civil rights claims — for excessive force and unlawful conditions of confinement in violation of the Fourteenth Amendment — and two state-level claims of assault and battery, and false imprisonment. The complaint alleges Lopez intentionally blocked Eby in the shower area while assaulting her, leaving her with no avenue to escape.
Attorney Benjamin McIntosh, representing Eby, criticized Lopez’s sentence as “incredibly lenient” and emphasized the need for greater accountability for corrections staff and better protections for female inmates.
“She has lost the joy that she had in her life,” the lawsuit reads. “She no longer finds happiness in doing things that she used to love, like cooking and cleaning, and she feels weighed down by the constant anxiety, fear, and panic.”
Eby also left her job due to its proximity to the jail, and now lives in fear of encountering Lopez after his release.
The lawsuit seeks both compensatory and punitive damages, along with legal fees.