White River Junction
Rebecca Parker, of Springfield, was arraigned on Tuesday in Windsor Superior Court and entered guilty pleas to a felony count of sexual exploitation of an inmate and misdemeanor reckless endangerment.
Parker, 40, received a deferred five-year sentence on the felony charge and a suspended three- to 12-month sentence on the misdemeanor charge.
She was placed on probation and released on several conditions, including that she not seek employment at a prison, nursing home, rehabilitation facility or as a home care provider assisting “vulnerable adults,” unless she receives permission from her probation officer.
Police were contacted by Department of Corrections personnel in February regarding alleged sexual misconduct between Parker and the 31-year-old male inmate.
An investigation turned up several emails and recorded phone calls between the two.
According to an affidavit filed in the case, Parker and the inmate began to foster a relationship in May 2015 when he began attending regular dialysis treatments.
The inmate told police that he attended lengthy treatment sessions three days a week, and that in October and November, he started having “romantic feelings” for Parker.
At the end of November, the pair’s relationship became sexual, according to the affidavit.
The investigation revealed that Parker and the inmate had sexual intercourse on at least two occasions, the affidavit states.
Parker wasn’t employed directly by the correctional facility, but rather worked for Centurion, a company that contracted with the prison for health care services.
A message left at Centurion wasn’t returned by deadline.
Jordan Cuddemi can be reached at jcuddemi@vnews.com or 603-727-3248.