HILLSBORO, Ore. — A judge has sentenced a former Oregon jail worker to four years in prison for having sex with an inmate in a supply closet.
The liaisons happened 13 times last year, a Washington County prosecutor said Monday.
When a sheriff’s deputy in the maximum-security wing went to lunch, that left jail services technician Jill Curry alone in the control room so she could press a button to let the 25-year-old inmate out of his cell.
Curry pleaded guilty last month to custodial sexual misconduct and other charges, The Oregonian reported (http://bit.ly/1AOeDFw ).
At a sentencing hearing Monday, Curry apologized for compromising security at the county jail.
“I exposed you guys to danger that I didn’t even think about,” she told deputies in the courtroom.
At the time, Curry was 38 years old and married to a deputy. The couple has since divorced. She said he didn’t deserve the “hurt and humiliation,” and neither did her children.
“My children, they are so perfect,” she said. “And in return I just devastated their lives. I disappointed and embarrassed them.”
Arguing for a briefer sentence, her defense lawyers said Curry’s marriage was falling apart at the time. They said she was experiencing depression and anxiety, and she was vulnerable to the advances of the inmate, described as a gang member.
Judge Charles Bailey called the suggestion the inmate was to blame “stupid and ludicrous” and imposed a sentence in line with the prosecution’s recommendation.
Curry was the first of two jail workers arrested on similar accusations involving the inmate. Brett Robinson, 32, is scheduled to be tried next month on custodial sexual misconduct and other charges. Both resigned in September.
Records show the inmate involved is serving time in a state prison after pleading guilty to attempted assault, unlawful use of a weapon and tampering with a witness.
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