Guard accused of sexually assaulting juvenile hall detainee

A juvenile hall guard in Bakersfield was in custody Friday on suspicion of sexually assaulting a juvenile detained at the facility, police officials announced.

Bakersfield police on Sept. 30 began investigating Cesar Navejar, 36, a corrections officer in Kern County’s juvenile hall, the department said in a statement.

A month after the investigation began, Navejar was arrested and booked into Kern County Jail on suspicion of felony digital penetration without consent, digital penetration under color of authority, sexual battery, assault by a public officer, sexual battery on a medically institutionalized person and misdemeanor annoying a child, jail records show.

Navejar is being held in lieu of $175,000 bail and is due in court Monday.

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