Officer Arrested For Suspected Sexual Relationship With Inmate

SANTA CRUZ, CA — A female correctional officer was arrested Friday evening on suspicion of having a sexual relationship with an inmate, the Santa Cruz County Sheriff's office said Saturday.

Jessica Smith, 31, was arrested on suspicion of sexual activity with an inmate, assault by a public officer and unauthorized computer access, the sheriff's office said in a news release.

Smith, who has been with the sheriff's office since 2015, is on administrative release during the ongoing investigation, officials said.

Detectives began investigating Smith when they received information about an inappropriate relationship with an inmate, who was serving a sentence through a supervised release program.

Bay City News contributed to this report.