A Douglas County corrections officer was arrested Wednesday and accused of having sexual contact with an inmate after the sheriff’s office said another inmate wrote a letter reporting her alleged behavior.
Leigh Lewis was charged with violation of oath by a public officer and sexual assault by a correctional officer, the Douglas sheriff’s office announced. After being taken into custody, Lewis was released on $30,000 bond Thursday morning, officials said.
The sheriff’s office opened an investigation into Lewis’ behavior after receiving a letter from an inmate at the Douglas County Jail alleging she had a sexual relationship with another inmate. Investigators reviewed video footage of the inmate’s cell and were able to confirm the letter’s allegations, the sheriff’s office said.
Lewis was later interviewed and admitted to kissing and performing oral sex on an inmate, according to the sheriff’s office. After her admission, she was arrested and fired.
The sheriff’s office said Lewis had been employed with the agency for a little over a year, first as a dispatcher before moving to the jail division.
In a statement, Douglas Sheriff Tim Pounds said he would stand up for his deputies when they operate “within the law and my policy.”
“However, if one of them knowingly and willfully violates the law and the public’s trust, this is what is going to happen to them,” Pounds said. “I have many great officers and I’m not going to allow one bad apple to spoil the bunch.”
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