Correctional Officer Sentenced to 90 Days in Jail after Pleading Guilty to Unlawful Sexual Contact with Inmate

CORRECTIONAL OFFICER SENTENCED TO 90 DAYS IN JAIL AFTER PLEADING GUILTY TO HAVING UNLAWFUL SEXUAL CONTACT WITH INMATE: On June 1, Jason Arnold – a suspended Correctional Officer at the Charles County Detention Center (CCDC) – was sentenced to 90 days in jail after pleading guilty to having unlawful sexual contact with a female inmate. The charge stemmed from an intensive investigation led by detectives assigned to the CCSO’s Criminal Investigations Division and the CCSO’s Office of Professional Responsibility. The investigation was initiated after command personnel were made aware of a rumor of inappropriate conduct between an inmate and Arnold.

The investigation revealed that in July 2015, a supervisor at the CCDC learned from a third-hand party about a possible relationship between Arnold and the inmate. Upon learning of the allegation, Arnold was immediately suspended. The State’s Attorney’s Office was contacted and detectives launched both a criminal and internal investigation, which revealed Arnold and the inmate had a relationship while she was incarcerated. Further, the investigation revealed that the relationship briefly continued after the inmate was released from the detention center. As part of the investigation, detectives reached out to other inmates who had contact with Arnold and determined no one else had unlawful relations with him. Arnold was criminally charged on March 2, 2016, with having unlawful sex with an inmate. In Maryland, it is a misdemeanor for a correctional officer to have a sexual relationship with an inmate.

Charles County Sheriff Troy Berry stated, “Trust is such an important factor between law enforcement and our community. When we heard about this rumor, our staff took immediate actions to investigate the allegations, even though a complaint was never made. It took months of hard work to thoroughly interview all of the female inmates who had contact with Arnold to ensure no other unlawful sexual contact had occurred. Arnold broke the trust that our community places in our correctional officers, and he broke the trust of his fellow officers. For this, Arnold being sentenced to a period of incarceration is justice served.”

Charles County Crime Solvers offers rewards of up to $1,000 for information that leads to the arrest or indictment of a person responsible for a crime in Charles County. Anyone with information about an unsolved crime or the location of a fugitive may contact Charles County Crime Solvers by calling 1-866-411-TIPS, texting CHARLES + the tip to CRIMES (274637) or submitting tips online at tipsubmit.com. All individuals who provide tips through Crime Solvers will remain anonymous. Learn more at the CCSO’s website.