HOUSTON — A woman working as an embalmer at a Houston funeral home has been charged with abusing the corpse of a registered sex offender.

Harris County officials say Amber Paige Laudermilk, 34, stabbed, castrated and “carried out additional abuses” on the body of 58-year-old Charles Roy Rodriguez in the presence of an embalming student.

Laudermilk is facing a felony charge for abuse of a corpse.

The incident happened at Claire Brothers Funeral Home in early February.

According to an affidavit, Laudermilk allegedly told employees who knew about the incident not to say anything about it, and they said they were scared to report it.

“This case is about two troubled people: the victim who was a registered sex offender and the defendant, who is accused of viciously attacking his dead body,” Harris County Precinct One Constable Alan Rosen said. “No matter what one thinks of his life, the law requires that he be treated with dignity in death.”

According to the constable’s office, Rodriguez was charged with sexual assault in 2001 and received 10 years of deferred adjudication. He is listed in the Texas Department of Public Safety sex offender registry.

Rodriguez died of natural causes at a Houston hospital in January, Rosen said.

“I don’t know the suspect’s past, but we have the utmost empathy for anyone who has been the victim of a sexual assault or is the family or friend of someone who has been the victim of a sexual assault,” Rosen said. “The facts clearly indicate she was angry and I hope after this is resolved in the courts, she gets the help she needs.”

The Texas Funeral Service Commission referred the case to Rosen’s office for further investigation. 

Laudermilk has not yet been arrested, Rosen said Monday in a post to Facebook.