Logo courtesy of Yuba County

MARYSVILLE, CA (MPG) - A former Yuba County Jail inmate who was sexually assaulted by a correctional officer has filed a federal civil rights lawsuit against Yuba County and the now-convicted former officer, alleging failures by jail employees allowed him to remove her from custody under the guise of a medical appointment.

The lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California, names Yuba County, former correctional officer Matthew Troy Babb and unidentified county employees as defendants. The woman is identified as Jane Doe.

Babb pleaded guilty June 3 to felony sexual penetration by force or fear and was sentenced July 27 to three years in state prison. He was also ordered to register as a sex offender for life. Other charges, including kidnapping and additional sexual offenses, were dismissed as part of the criminal case.

The new civil lawsuit focuses not only on Babb’s conduct but also on what Doe alleges were failures in Yuba County Jail policies, supervision and procedures leading up to the assault. According to the complaint, Doe first encountered Babb Sept. 10, 2025, when he transported her from the Placer County Jail to the Yuba County Jail. The lawsuit alleges Babb made inappropriate sexual comments, looked Doe up on Facebook and intentionally touched her inappropriately while removing her seat belt after they arrived.

The complaint also alleges Babb told Doe he had previously had sexual relations with other inmates he transported. About a week later, Doe was directed to the jail infirmary despite not requesting medical treatment, according to the lawsuit. Babb allegedly met her there and told her he had been following her criminal case and could not stop thinking about her.

The central incident occurred Oct. 3, 2025. According to the complaint, Correctional Officer Alexandra Callis told Doe she had an appointment at an outside medical facility and directed her to the booking area. The lawsuit alleges documentation for the appointment was false and that jail employees failed to verify the paperwork or confirm an appointment existed before allowing Babb to transport Doe alone.

Doe was placed in wrist restraints and leg shackles and left the jail with Babb about 10:22 a.m., according to the complaint. Once outside the jail, Babb allegedly told Doe she did not actually have a medical appointment. The complaint states that while heading toward a Sheriff's Department fueling area, Babb saw other detectives at the pumps and drove farther down the road. A Sheriff's Department sergeant allegedly observed Babb’s patrol vehicle parked away from the fueling area about 10:30 a.m. but did not investigate.

Babb then transported Doe to a dead-end area of Furneaux Road in Olivehurst, where the sexual assault occurred, according to the complaint and subsequent criminal case. The lawsuit alleges Babb then took Doe to Peach Tree Clinic in Linda to make the trip appear connected to a legitimate medical appointment before returning her to the jail about 11:22 a.m.

The complaint states Doe returned to her cell crying and vomiting and later told her cellmates she had been sexually assaulted. Her cellmates encouraged her to make a report under the Prison Rape Elimination Act, commonly known as PREA, and ultimately contacted a correctional officer on her behalf. The Yuba County Sheriff's Department subsequently began an investigation.

According to the complaint, investigators obtained surveillance footage showing Babb transporting Doe in a county vehicle and questioned him later that day. Babb initially claimed he had transported Doe for an eye care appointment, the lawsuit states. After investigators confronted him with information showing she did not have an appointment and told him they had obtained a warrant to collect DNA evidence from his fingernails, the complaint alleges Babb admitted sexual contact with Doe. The lawsuit further alleges Babb admitted he had been planning to remove her from the jail since Sept. 30. Babb was arrested Oct. 3.

Doe's lawsuit also raises broader allegations about Yuba County's handling of inmate transportation and prior concerns involving Babb. The complaint alleges county employees failed to properly investigate prior claims or complaints of sexual harassment, sexual assault or inappropriate conduct involving Babb and female inmates. Those allegations have not been established in the civil case. The lawsuit also alleges the jail permitted a single officer to transport a county inmate of the opposite sex while policies at the time contained additional safeguards for certain transports involving U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detainees.

Doe contends the county failed to adequately train and supervise custodial officers regarding prevention of staff sexual misconduct and failed to take reasonable measures to protect her. Before filing the federal lawsuit, Doe submitted a Government Tort Claim to Yuba County on March 30, according to the complaint. The county's claims administrator rejected it May 12. The lawsuit asserts 10 claims under federal and California law, including alleged constitutional violations, failure to protect, unlawful seizure, sexual assault and battery, false imprisonment, intentional infliction of emotional distress and negligence.

Doe is seeking compensatory and punitive damages, civil penalties, attorneys' fees and other relief. The complaint does not specify a monetary amount. She has requested a jury trial.