A former corrections officer at Michigan's Women's Huron Valley Correctional Facility pleaded guilty this week to a sex-related felony, closing in on a case that has shadowed the Ypsilanti prison for months. Joshua Lee, 22, of Wyandotte, admitted to one count of second-degree criminal sexual conduct with a state prisoner and is scheduled to be sentenced on June 18, in Washtenaw County.
Prosecutors say Lee engaged in multiple sexual acts, including penetration, with several incarcerated women while he was on duty at the facility, according to the Michigan Attorney General's Office. The office says the case was referred by the Michigan State Police, and that Lee was arraigned on October 30 after originally being charged with four counts of second-degree criminal sexual conduct. CBS News reported Lee's guilty plea and the June sentencing date.
Legal context
The Attorney General's Office has flagged what it calls a hole in Michigan law: state statutes spell out that sexual contact by corrections staff with prisoners is a crime, but they do not explicitly address sexual penetration by officers. Prosecutors say that gap leaves them charging penetration under second-degree criminal sexual conduct instead of a more tailored offense. "I want to thank both the Michigan Department of Corrections and the Michigan State Police for their swift action in investigating these allegations," Attorney General Dana Nessel said, adding that her office will push lawmakers to update the statutes to better reflect the seriousness of such cases, per the Michigan Attorney General's Office.
What's next
By pleading guilty to a single count, Lee sharply narrows the case from the four original charges he faced and will return to the 22nd Circuit Court for sentencing on June 18. Earlier reporting notes that each of those original counts is a 15-year felony on its face, a detail that highlights how serious the allegations are in the eyes of the law. ClickOnDetroit covered the plea and upcoming sentencing, and Hoodline previously reported when he was charged with sexual misconduct at the prison.
