Washington, June 23 (RHC)-- A new lawsuit filed by the American Civil Liberties Union charges police in Washington, D.C., used sexual abuse as a form of punishment, after hundreds were arrested during protests against Donald Trump’s inauguration on January 20. 

A complaint by four plaintiffs charges officers stripped them, grabbed their genitalia and inserted fingers into their anuses while other officers laughed.  

One of the plaintiffs, photojournalist Shay Horse, said: "I felt like they were using molestation and rape as punishment. They used those tactics to inflict pain and misery on people who are supposed to be innocent until proven guilty." 

In a statement, D.C.'s Metropolitan Police Department promised an investigation but defended its officers' actions, saying all arrests on January 20 were proper.