Jail guard sex case headed to grand jury

Allegations that a Wilson County Jail guard engaged in a sexual relationship with a female inmate could go before a grand jury as early as next week.
Officials confirmed earlier this year that former guard Gregory 'Greg' Wilson left the jail after the allegations were lodged, with a Tennessee Bureau of Investigation launched shortly afterward.
District Attorney General Tommy Thompson on Thursday said the probe has been all but completed and he expects evidence gathered to be presented to the grand jury in the near future – perhaps as early as next week.
"I think it will be presented next week," the DA said. "If not then, it will certainly go before the grand jury in January."
Authorities have said the woman maintains she engaged in numerous sexual encounters with the guard while behind bars, several of them taking place while Wilson was on duty.
The woman has also claimed she received "special favors" in exchange for her participation in the relationship, according to separate sources close to the probe who spoke on the condition of anonymity.
At one point it appeared the U.S. Department of Justice – which conducted an 18-month investigation of the jail after a prisoner died in custody – may take an interest in the woman's allegations, though authorities later said the probe would be handled by state authorities.
Assistant Chief Deputy Robert Bryan – who oversees the jail – said on Thursday he was not surprised to learn of the pending grand jury presentation.
"It needs to be presented to the grand jury," said Bryan. "That's the right thing to do."
At the time the allegations surfaced publicly earlier this year, Bryan said the woman's claims were "fully investigated" in an internal affairs probe which led to Wilson's resignation.
Bryan said investigators found inconsistencies in statements from both Wilson and his accuser and that the guard later submitted to a polygraph examination.
But the internal investigation could not substantiate any criminal acts committed by Wilson, Bryan said.
"After the polygraph we took the results of the complete investigation to the sheriff and he advised us to turn it all over to the DA's office, which is what we did," Bryan said at the time.
Sheriff Terry Ashe said "no criminal allegations were substantiated" by the internal investigation but confirmed it led to Wilson's resignation.
"Some things came up that we weren't comfortable with and he's no longer working here," Ashe said.
Senior Staff Writer Brooks Franklin can be reached at 444-3952 ext. 14 or by e-mail at brooks.franklin@lebanondemocrat.com.