Ex-Eloy corrections officer pleads guilty to sex with inmate

FLORENCE, Ariz. (AP) — A female corrections officer accused of having sex with an inmate at an Eloy private prison has changed her plea to guilty.

Pinal County prosecutors say 44-year-old Christina Lopez pleaded guilty to one count of attempted unlawful sexual conduct in a correctional facility.

She’s scheduled to be sentenced on Oct. 11.

The Casa Grande Dispatch reports Lopez could be sentenced to up to two years in prison although probation is possible since she has no prior felonies on her record.

Lopez, of Tucson, was accused of engaging in unlawful sexual conduct with the inmate on June 8 at the Saguaro Correctional Center in Eloy, about 65 miles (104 kilometers) southeast of Phoenix.

Prison staffers notified authorities about the allegations and police interviewed Lopez.

The unidentified inmate remains in prison custody.

___

Information from: Casa Grande Dispatch.