A Richmond County deputy jailer was arrested and fired this week after investigators say he sexually assaulted a female inmate at the county detention center last fall.
What’s Happening
Avery Matthew Wood, 23, of Hephzibah, was charged Tuesday with three felonies: violation of oath of office, rape, and sexual assault. He had worked as a deputy jailer at the Charles B. Webster Detention Center since November 2023.
The Richmond County Sheriff’s Office says the assaults happened between October and November 2025 while the woman was incarcerated at the facility on Phinizy Road.
The Timeline
January 2: Internal Affairs received a complaint about Wood involving a female inmate.
January 5: The case was referred to the Criminal Investigation Division after a preliminary review found the allegations could be criminal. Chief Lewis Blanchard terminated Wood that morning for policy violations.
January 6: Wood was arrested by the Road Patrol Division and Crime Suppression Team. He was booked into the same detention center where he had worked.
What’s Confirmed
The alleged victim was transferred to a state facility in November, which investigators say ended the period of abuse.
Wood had been employed by the sheriff’s office for just over one year when he was fired.
The investigation is active and ongoing.
What Sheriff Brantley Said
“The Richmond County Sheriff’s Office holds our employees to the highest professional and ethical standards,” Sheriff Gino Brantley said in a statement. “When those standards are violated, we will act swiftly, decisively, and transparently. No one is above the law, and any employee who betrays the public trust will be held fully accountable.”
Brantley added that the office is “committed to being open with our community” and will cooperate fully with the judicial process.
What’s Still Unknown
The sheriff’s office has not released details about how the complaint was initially made or who reported it.
It’s unclear whether Wood has legal representation or has entered a plea.
The identity of the victim has not been disclosed.
“Integrity means doing the right thing even when no one is watching. Somewhere along the way, too many people decided that rule was optional.”
B.T. Clark
B.T. Clark is an award-winning journalist and the Publisher of The Georgia Sun. He has 25 years of experience in journalism and served as Managing Editor of Neighbor Newspapers in metro Atlanta for 15 years and Digital Director at Times-Journal Inc. for 8 years. His work has appeared in several newspapers throughout the state including Neighbor Newspapers, The Cherokee Tribune and The Marietta Daily Journal. He is a Georgia native and a fifth-generation Georgian.
