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Fondling earns jail worker 6 months

A man will have a different view of a jail cell after touching a teenage inmate.

By DUANE BOURNE
Published March 5, 2005

BROOKSVILLE - A former corrections officer at the Hernando County Jail voluntarily surrendered his law enforcement certification after he pleaded guilty to sexual misconduct with a 17-year-old inmate.

At his pretrial hearing Friday morning, Louis Gregory, 38, of Spring Hill, withdrew his previous plea of not guilty to a third-degree felony and was sentenced to six months in jail.

Gregory's punishment came three months after he was charged with backing a 17-year-old inmate against a sink and inappropriately touching her as she stepped out of the shower. Investigators said the incidents happened twice, beginning in October.

As a condition of the agreement worked out with the State Attorney's Office and attorney Kirk Campbell, Gregory also received five years' sex offender probation. Gregory will not be required to register as a sex offender in Florida.

When Gregory was arrested on Nov. 30, the inmate, whose name is being withheld by authorities because of her age and the nature of the offense, was being held in the medical observation area on the second floor of the jail. By law, minors cannot mingle with adult inmates.

Responding to Friday's disposition, Assistant State Attorney Lisa Herndon said her office has had ongoing negotiations with Campbell about the case, which raised questions about how a male corrections officer could be left alone with a female minor. Herndon acknowledged that Gregory made strides to resolve the case after he confessed to touching the girl and later returning to his rounds.

"We felt the sentence was fair," Herndon said after the hearing. "He admitted to what he did, and I think that was a positive step."

On Friday, Campbell requested that his client be incarcerated in a facility where he had not been employed. Circuit Court Judge Jack Springstead suggested jails in Sumter, Lake and Marion counties, which belong to the 5th Judicial Circuit.

Gregory will begin serving his sentence within the next 30 days. He did not return a call seeking comment.

Gregory, a warehouse officer responsible for distributing supplies, such as razors and cleaning solutions, had worked at the jail since July 2001. After his arrest, he resigned from Corrections Corporation of America, the private company that runs the county jail.

At the time, officials said they would look into how corrections officers interact with female juveniles.

Reached at CCA's Nashville headquarters on Friday, spokeswoman Louise Chickering said that no policies have been changed. She added that current protocol is strict and ensures the safety of the facility's wards.

Duane Bourne can be reached at 352 754-6114 or dbourne@sptimes.com

[Last modified March 5, 2005, 00:41:15]