Prison guard had sexual contact with CA inmate 35 times and lied about it, feds say

A former corrections officer was sentenced to prison after prosecutors accused him of lying to investigators, telling them he never had sexual contact with an inmate under his supervision, despite allegedly doing it about 35 times.

Abel Concho, 54, who pleaded guilty to making false statements last year, was sentenced to three months in prison, according to a Monday, Aug. 15, news release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California.

“Having abused his power in supervising the halls of a federal institution to commit sexual abuse and then lying up to cover up those gross abuses, justice demands that defendant should now spend time on the other side of the bars,” prosecutors said, according to the news release.

Concho’s lawyer did not immediately return McClatchy News’ request for comment.

Concho, employed by the Bureau of Prisons at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Los Angeles, worked as a correctional officer when he supervised the victim from June 2010 to February 2011, according to the district attorney’s office.

During an interview last July, Concho lied to investigators, saying “he ‘never’ had sexual contact with one MDC inmate, when in fact Concho engaged in sexual contact with the victim on approximately 35 different occasions,” the release said.

After denying any sexual contact, Concho then lied again saying he had sex with with the victim “once (or) twice,” when he is accused of doing it about nine times, according to an indictment. He also said other sexual contact happened “two (or) three times,” officials said, when he is accused of it happening “on 28 separate occasions.”

Concho is also accused of providing the inmate with a phone to take nude photos of herself and lying about it.

“In fact, he illegally smuggled a cellphone into MDC and gave the cellphone to the victim to take nude photographs for him, which the victim then did,” the news release said.

In his plea agreement, Concho admitted he knew it was a federal crime to engage in a sexual act with an inmate and “smuggle in contraband,” the news release said.

Concho is barred from seeking employment with law enforcement or “a position that requires carrying a firearm,” the news release said.

In addition to his prison sentence, Concho was also sentenced to three months home confinement and must “pay the victim $9,500 in restitution,” officials said.

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