MAYSVILLE — A special prosecutor has been hired to investigate a Missouri jail where a guard was terminated amid allegations that a naked man was pepper sprayed.

The St. Joseph News-Press reports that DeKalb County Sheriff Andy Clark confirmed the firing of Keven Jaques last week in a phone call with the newspaper. No charges have been filed against him, and he doesn't have a listed phone number.

At issue are allegations made by Sarah LaRue that her son, James LaRue, who is awaiting sentencing on a felony escape charge, was pepper sprayed while naked and on suicide watch at the Daviess-DeKalb Regional Jail. She also alleged that food was withheld.

Clark acknowledged that James LaRue was pepper sprayed in emails to her mother, which she forwarded to the News-Press, but he denied that guards withheld food. Clark also said James LaRue removed his clothes on his own, though Sarah LaRue said her son only removed his clothes because he was being put on suicide watch and that he was never given any replacements.

In a response to an open records request, Daviess County Prosecutor Annie Gibson said Special Prosecutor Adam Warren has been appointed to handle the incident.