Missouri Man Sues State Patrol for Alleged Sexual Assault

A Joplin man alleges a Missouri State Highway Patrol trooper sexually assaulted him during a 2014 strip search.

The Springfield News-Leader reports that 35-year-old Juan Simmons filed a lawsuit earlier this month against the highway patrol and Trooper Joseph Drum.

The lawsuit says Simmons was arrested for driving with a suspended license and municipal warrants. Simmons alleges Drum took him to a nearby jail, where Drum allegedly forced Simmons to strip and touched him inappropriately with a pen.

The lawsuit says Drum didn’t have a reason to perform the strip search and filled out the paperwork for it several days later. The highway patrol investigated the incident and disciplined Drum.

The highway patrol declined to comment on the lawsuit. A patrol spokesman says Drum is still employed as a trooper.