HOWARD COUNTY, Ind. — A 23-year-old corrections officer with the Howard County Sheriff’s Office has been arrested after he reportedly had sex with an inmate.
According to a news release from the office, Terrion Henderson, a nine-month employee of the office, was arrested and booked into the Howard County Jail on Tuesday on the following charges:
- One count of sexual misconduct by a service provider, a Level 5 felony
- One count of official misconduct, a Level 6 felony
- One count of obstruction of justice, a Level 6 felony
- One count of assisting a criminal, a Level 6 felony
On Monday, the Howard County Sheriff’s Office began an internal investigation after receiving a complaint that a corrections officer, later identified as Henderson, had sex with an inmate.
During the investigation, officials said that the inmate was released on March 17 after she was sentenced to work release. Later that month, the release said that Henderson had reached out to the inmate through social media, said “I’d love to get to know you” and asked for her number.
Henderson reportedly texted with the inmate and messaged her via other social media platforms. The release said that the inmate told detectives that the conversations between the two had been deleted due to police having the ability to check the inmate’s phone.
On April 1, the release said surveillance video from the Howard County Sheriff’s Office reportedly showed Henderson leave the office in a white Chevrolet Malibu at 2:07 p.m. A little more than an hour later, the same vehicle pulled onto the lot and the inmate got in the vehicle.
The inmate told detectives that Henderson reportedly drove her to her job and “slipped off her community corrections bracelet.” Data from the bracelet showed that it remained at her work from 3:20 p.m. until it turned off at 8:24 p.m.
In that time, Henderson drove to the inmate’s home in Peru where they reportedly had sex. After leaving the home, the inmate told police she stayed home, consumed alcohol and illegal drugs, and turned herself in the next day for “violating her work release contract.” The inmate was charged with escape and was transferred back to the Howard County Jail.
On Tuesday, Henderson reportedly spoke with detectives surrounding the incident. The office alleges in the release that during the course of the conversation, Henderson “changed his story multiple times and initially denied any of the aforementioned allegations made by the female inmate.”
“As the interview progressed, Henderson admitted to picking the female inmate up from work release, driving her to her home in Peru and to having sexual relations while there,” the release said.
Officials said the case remains under investigation.
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