Sexually Assaulted Ellis County Firefighter Shares Story
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Jason Waldeck says after months of soul-searching, he decided to come forward and talk about the sexual assault that still stuns him to this day, nearly ten months later. "The public needs to know this did happen. There's no hiding it."
Waldeck, just 19 at the time of the attack, says he hopes to help other victims. "I'm taking my stand and I'm not ashamed of that night anymore."
Five volunteer firefighters at the Ellis County emergency services district six and one of their girlfriends are accused of sexually assaulting him in the fire station.
First with a broom stick, then a sausage.
His chief and assistant chief are accused of trying to cover it up.
All eight defendants have pleaded not guilty and are set to appear in court December 1st.
Waldeck says, "That night, it was torture. It was torturing for them to do that to me. To be held down against my will, yelling stop, and them just laughing. It was the most humiliating thing that has ever happened to me."
Prosecutors say the suspects recorded the attack on a cell phone.
Waldeck received a copy of it and bristles watching it. "When they're all prosecuted, I'll be able to forget about it. But until that day, I'm going to remember it."
He says as disturbing as it is, he's thankful for the video because it's proof.
"If I can't trust these guys for ten minutes alone in a station, how can I trust these guys in a burning building."
Waldeck says the incident happened January 20th. He didn't report it until April, after a fire chief from another Ellis County fire department called him and asked him to meet with him.
Waldeck says he did so late at night, then decided to press charges late that night when discussing it with the county's fire marshal.
He says this wasn't the first incident at the fire house.
"They pulled my pants down to my boxers, tied my legs, they had my belt and used rope and they tied my legs down and set me on the ground and made the rookie shave my head as his initiation."
Now, Waldeck awaits a trial. "I believe in the community that knows that was wrong and actions need to happen and justice needs to be served."
Waldeck says before their arrest on the charges, one of the firefighters called him to apologize.
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Follow Jack on Twitter: @cbs11jack