New Mexico prison guard sentenced to 18 years for raping women

A prison guard was sentenced to 18 years in prison Friday, November 20 for raping female inmates at the Camino Nuevo private prison in Alberquerque, New Mexico.  This prison holds around 50 women, many in the final days of their sentences. Anthony Townes plead guilty to and was sentenced to 18 years in prison for 8 counts of rape and false imprisonment, two counts for each inmate he victimized.  The attacks occurred between January and  August of 2007. His MO was to force women into places unmonitored by security cameras.

"I knew him as a monster, a liar a man who thought because of his position he was wanted by all but could do as he pleased," one of the victims said. Townes claimed he pled guilty to avoid a 36 year sentence that he could have received in found guilty by a jury. "There is no fear factor. I would never threaten anyone else's kids. I have a grandmother, mother a girlfriend, a sister and 4-year-old daughter, so therefore I would not do that to any woman because no woman deserves that," he said.