Benton County jail officer arrested. He’s accused of ‘sexual misconduct’ with an inmate
A Benton County corrections officer has been arrested after a female inmate in the jail accused him of “sexual misconduct.”
Kevin Lee Bell was booked Tuesday into the Franklin County jail on suspicion of second-degree custodial sexual misconduct, a felony, according to jail records. He’s worked at the jail for nearly five years.
It’s illegal for a correction’s officer to have any kind of sexual contact with an inmate whether or not it is consensual, according to Washington state law.
Details about what happened were not immediately available Wednesday, but the Benton County Sheriff’s Office was called in to investigate the woman’s allegations in late February, according to a news release from the county.
Detectives arrested Bell on Tuesday and are continuing to investigate the accusations, according to the release.
Bell appeared Wednesday morning in Benton County Superior Court by video link from the Franklin County jail.
Benton County Deputy Prosecutor Holai Holbrook asked the judge to set bail at $50,000 because of fears that he might try to intimidate witnesses in the case.
His attorney, Scott Johnson, called the idea that Bell would intimidate people a “fantasy.” He noted that his client has no criminal history, and he asked that Bell be released on his own recognizance.
He said he wouldn’t object to the judge ordering a no contact order for the inmate involved.
Judge Jackie Shea Brown set bail at $5,000, and approved a no contact order with one person.
The Benton County Corrections Department will conduct an internal investigation into violations of department policies after the criminal investigation is finished, the county said.
Bell started as a corrections officer in 2019, according to a Facebook post then from the sheriff’s office.
He has been on paid leave from working at the jail since the initial complaint was made on Feb. 20, Holbrook said during Wednesday’s hearing.
He will remain on leave until the criminal and internal investigations are finished.
This story was originally published March 6, 2024 at 12:03 PM.