Fayette County deputy constable arrested on sexual abuse charges
A Fayette County deputy constable has been arrested and charged with sexual abuse after a woman says he forcibly kissed her, smacked her behind and sent her unwanted text messages while he was in his constable’s uniform.
Danny Prater, a deputy constable for Constable Wade McNabb, was charged with two counts of sexual abuse on Friday. He will be arraigned on Thursday.
Last week, a Fayette County Circuit Court judge issued an emergency protection order that requires Prater to stay 500 feet from the apartment complex where the woman lives.
The Lexington Herald-Leader does not identify victims of sexual harassment or assault.
According to a criminal complaint filed by Lexington police, Prater was working security for the woman’s apartment complex. He approached her while she was outside her home, took a photo of himself and then added his phone number in her contacts.
Video footage from a Ring camera showed Prater getting close to the woman’s face, the complaint says. The video also recorded Prater smacking the woman’s bottom when she stands up to leave to meet some friends.
As she walked away to meet her friends, Prater than grabbed her, picked her up and kissed her, according to the complaint.
When the woman returned to her apartment, Prater allegedly followed her and sat on a chair outside her apartment. At one point, he asked her to sit on “Daddy’s lap,” according to the complaint.
The woman texted a friend to come over so she wouldn’t be alone with Prater. Video footage showed Prater distancing himself from the woman when her friend arrived, according to the criminal complaint. Prater also sent suggestive emojis to the woman while her friend was there.
Prater eventually left but sent the woman a message saying she should contact him when her friend left.
Instead, the woman left her home and went to a public place to call the police. Prater continued to send the woman text messages while she was away from her home. The woman then received a notification from her Ring camera while she was talking to the police that Prater was at her home. He then tried to call her, according to the complaint.
The woman told police that she was afraid if she tried to push him away, she would be accused of assaulting an officer.
“She further advised that she was worried about retaliation and no one would believe her due to his position of power and him wearing a badge,” the complaint said.
Prater is currently out of jail on a $5,000 bond.
McNabb has said Prater is on leave until the charges against him are resolved.
Fayette County constables largely serve as process servers, handling eviction notices and other civil summons. They can write tickets for traffic violations but do not receive the extensive training of police officers.
The office is funded through fees constables collect. Fayette County has three elected constables. Each can hire their deputies.
