In a disturbing breach of trust, a female probation officer from the Los Angeles County Probation Department has been slapped with multiple charges, including having an illegal sexual relationship with a male youth detainee at the Dorothy Kirby Center. The illicit affair came to light during an investigation by the department’s Juvenile Safety and Welfare Task Force, which was probing into a phone recovered from the aforementioned youth.
Details about this torrid scandal were released in a bulletin on March 11th, 2024. Investigators, who were aided by information from a warrant, uncovered suggestive communications between the officer and detainee, some occurring while she was reportedly at work, and certain photos of a sexual nature. When queried by the investigators, the probation officer provided statements that backed the evidence, confirming her involvement in the communications.
This sexual misconduct allegation is particularly egregious given the power dynamic at play and the vulnerability of the youth being supervised. The Task Force did not turn a blind eye, instead, they took immediate action against their colleague. The officer was found in possession of contraband upon her arrest—she had a cellular phone and a prescription pill container with various pills inside her bag, which she brought into the secured facility.
Charges against the officer include arranging a meeting with a minor for a lewd purpose and sex with an inmate, among others related to the contraband found. The case, after the conclusion of the Juvenile Safety and Welfare Task Force's investigation, is set to be passed to the Justice System Integrity Division of the LA County District Attorney. "The Probation Department is releasing this information quickly," the department stated that, it "cannot comment further," respecting the sensitivity of the matter involving a minor.
