Ex-Officer at Michigan Women’s Prison Pleads Guilty to Criminal Sexual Conduct

Overview

• Joshua Lee, 22, a former officer at Women’s Huron Valley Correctional Facility, pleaded guilty to one count of second-degree criminal sexual conduct with a state prisoner.
• Prosecutors say he engaged in multiple sexual acts, including penetration, with several incarcerated women at Michigan’s only women’s prison.
• A Washtenaw County judge set sentencing for June 18.
• The Michigan State Police led the investigation, and Attorney General Dana Nessel brought the case and said her office will prosecute staff who exploit people in custody.
• Nessel’s office says state law does not specifically cover penetration by corrections staff, so prosecutors use second-degree charges for both contact and penetration, and she has urged lawmakers to update the code.