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GRAHAM — Three former Alamance County detention officers were convicted in Alamance County district court Wednesday on false imprisonment charges for their role in what was termed a "scared straight"-style jail tour involving a juvenile.

Assault charges were dismissed against Lt. Gerry Steven Helms, 49, and officers Hugh Atkins Thacker, 48, and James Bernard Stutts Jr., 25.

The three were charged and later fired after an April 5 jail tour during which a 15-year-old boy said he was pushed around, grabbed and made to lie on a sleeping mat while wearing a jail jumpsuit.

A fourth officer, Jason Lee Neal, 24, resigned. He was charged in the case but not in court because he was not served his warrant before he was deployed to military service in the Middle East.

Helms and Thacker were issued prayers for judgment on payment of court costs and given 48 hours of community service. Judge Catherine Stevens remitted costs in Stutts' case, calling him "the least culpable" of the defendants.

According to testimonies, the teenage boy was brought to the jail after 7 p.m. after his family had called the jail about a tour.

The officers were accused of grabbing the boy to escort him down a hallway and putting one of his arms behind his back. The false imprisonment charge alleged the officers forced the teen to wear a jail jumpsuit and lie on a thin jail sleeping mat for about 30 minutes.

A jail inmate testified that the boy hurt his jaw and right shoulder when he tried to run from the jailers.

Lt. Charlie Stewart said the jail did not have a policy about "scared straight"- type tours of the jail, though he had escorted young men through before at the request of parents. He said inmates would "holler and cuss" at just about anyone who came near the cells.

After this incident was reported, Sheriff Terry Johnson announced all tours of the jail must be cleared by him.

Defense attorneys argued the young man's family had given permission to take the boy on the tour and to show the young man the consequences of criminal behavior.