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A Nye County Sheriff's Office deputy was arrested and booked on charges of kidnapping, sexual assault, and "oppression under the color of office" Wednesday, March 26.

Daryal Taylor, 45, was relieved of his duty prior to being booked into the Nye County Detention Center. His arrest stemmed from allegations by a female inmate (unidentified by the sheriff's office) that the deputy had sexually assaulted her the night before while she was being transported by Taylor.

Nye County Sheriff Tony DeMeo said Taylor, who is normally a patrol deputy, was filling in as a transport deputy for the detention center, which he added was short-staffed.

Taylor was taking inmates from the jail to scheduled appointments at a medical clinic here.

The sheriff said the alleged incident occurred with the second inmate Taylor transported that day.

According to the sheriff's office press release, the inmate alleged that "Taylor had deviated from the direct transport he was assigned to for committing sexual assault on the victim."

"Taylor used his position as a deputy sheriff to influence the victim into participation in the sex act," the press release said.

DeMeo said initially the incident was being looked at as a policy violation, but further investigation into the incident led deputies to find probable cause for Taylor's arrest.

According to the sheriff's office press release, the investigation revealed evidence "that corroborated the victim's account of the incident."

Other evidence obtained from the incident is being processed by the crime lab.

"His behavior certainly does not reflect the general members of the Nye County Sheriff's Office," DeMeo said.

The sheriff added that the way the investigation was handled was "commendable."

"Officers very earnestly investigated the inmate's allegations," DeMeo said. "They were very objective in their investigation."

Taylor would have celebrated his five-year anniversary as a sheriff's deputy this July.

His bail was set at $102,000. As of press time he was still incarcerated. He has been suspended with pay.

DeMeo stressed that due to legislation guaranteeing due process to employees, the deputy can not be considered for suspension without pay unless or until formal charges are filed by the district attorney's office.