A former Juvenile Correctional Officer in Texas is now facing serious charges for alleged sexual misconduct with a minor. Yuliana Mares, 40, was arrested on April 22, 2025, according to the CBS Austin report, and charged with both a first-degree felony for violation of civil rights of a person in custody/improper sexual activity and a second-degree felony for indecency with a child by sexual contact. The Texas Juvenile Justice Department has confirmed the arrest and the nature of the charges.
The investigation by the Office of Inspector General found that in February 2025, while employed at the Evins State Juvenile Correctional Facility in Edinburg, Mares allegedly engaged in sexual contact by touching the genitals of a 16-year-old boy who was in custody, according to ABC13.
These charges spotlight the critical responsibility institutions have in safeguarding the minors entrusted to their care, particularly when they are in a state of vulnerability due to being in custody. The incident questions the integrity of the correctional system's ability to prevent such breaches of authority and abuse of power. Public trust in corrective institutions hangs in the balance as cases like this one emerge.
The Office of Inspector General, which oversees allegations of criminal activity involving officials at the Texas Juvenile Justice Department, spearheaded the investigation that led to Mares’s arrest; their role is to maintain compliance and ethical conduct within juvenile facilities. ABC13 reports that those who have knowledge of such misconduct are urged to communicate allegations to the Incident Reporting Center, either by emailing [email protected] or by calling the toll-free hotline at 1-866-477-8354, which is available 24 hours a day for such reports.
