A Miami-Dade jail kitchen cook accused of sexually battering a female inmate will be released from jail and was granted house arrest.
On Thursday, Miami-Dade state attorneys argued to try and keep Johny Jovin inside jail until his trial.
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WATCH HEREJovin, a kitchen cook at Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center, allegedly sexually assaulted a female inmate inside a refrigerator.
During a pre-trial detention hearing, Miami-Dade Police Officer Daniel Soto told Judge Andrea Wolfson the inmate was volunteering at the kitchen. According to the victim, Jovin asked her for help to gather bread.
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“She said when she went into the refrigerator, the defendant grabbed her by the waist and tried to kiss her," Soto said. "She pulled away, but then he grabbed her again and kissed her on the lips. When she pulled away, again he reached around and grabbed her by the buttocks."
Jovin is facing a sexual battery by a corrections officer charge. Jovin’s attorney Ricardo Hermida denied the allegations and said his client is not an officer. He doesn’t carry a badge or gun.
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“He’s just a cook,” Hermida said.
Hermida said this is a “he said she said” case and emphasized how there is no DNA evidence. He also stated how the defendant’s first language was Creole, but investigators questioned him in English.
Police claim Jovin confessed to the crimes.
After hearing from the officer, Judge Wolfson granted Jovin house arrest with a GPS monitor. The judge believed he was not a danger to the community especially since he had no prior criminal record.
