A former Pinellas County juvenile detention officer solicited sexual activity from one of the juvenile inmates, according to the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office.
Katelyn Gomez, 27, allegedly sent 10 inappropriate letters to a 16-year-old male inmate, according to the sheriff’s office. The letters were later found in the boy’s bed.
“The letters explicitly described what would take place during their first sexual encounter and described an ongoing relationship which had developed while the victim was incarcerated,” deputies said.
Investigators also found a photo of Gomez in the boy’s cell.
Gomez was hired as a sergeant at the Pinellas Regional Juvenile Detention Center on Jan. 5 and was assigned to the 16-year-old’s pod three weeks before her arrest, according to the sheriff’s office.
Gomez was told not to be alone with any of the inmates, but other staff members saw her with the victim one-on-one several times, deputies said.
Gomez reportedly admitted to writing the letters, stating that she “began developing a relationship with him when they met at the facility several weeks ago,” deputies said. She said she fantasized about a sexual relationship and building a life with him once he was released.
Gomez was charged with solicitation of a child to engage in an act that constitutes sexual battery by a person in familial or custodial authority, according to the sheriff’s office.
The investigation remained ongoing.
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Source: wfla
