The Ellis County volunteer firefighter who police say was sexually assaulted by his fellow firefighters is speaking out for the first time.
Jason Waldeck, a 20-year-old firefighter, said it happened inside of the volunteer fire department in Ellis County back in January 2015.
"There were a lot of thoughts of suicide, and just, I wish it would all go away, " said Waldeck, in his first television interview. "Just knowing that I've gone through a lot, I want to stay strong, but it still gets to me."
Detectives say Waldeck was sexually assaulted by other members of his department. Eight people, including the chief, assistant chief and a lieutenant, have been indicted for their alleged roles in the attack and attempts to cover it up.
"It was like that (snaps fingers), two or three grabbed me from the chair, and took me over to the couch and I was fighting them and they got on top of me," Waldeck explained. "Someone in the room said 'well, I got a broom stick,' or 'find a broom stick,' and that's when it crossed my head what they were about to do."
Court documents reveal Waldeck was later sexually assaulted with sausage.
"I hit the ground and threw up. I was just sickened. My whole stomach was just sickened," he added.
Local
The latest news from around North Texas.
We usually don't identify victims of sex crimes, but in this case, Waldeck says coming forward could help others overcome their fear.
"I couldn't get it out of my head. I couldn't get the shame and embarrassment out of my head. I was scared. There were days I didn't sleep for four or five days," he said. "They just think they can do what ever they want. They really didn't think I would ever turn them in. I became a firefighter to be a hero and to help people. That's my whole goal with this. I'm tired of being in the shadows. I'm just not who I am -- if I can put my pride and my embarrassment away for a minute, to help somebody else, then in the end, it's all worth it to me."
