A former corrections officer at the federal prison in Aliceville pleaded guilty Tuesday to charges connected with having sex with an inmate.  

Jesse Bailey, 28, of Carrolton entered the guilty plea before U.S. District Court Judge Virginia E. Hopkins in Birmingham. He pleaded guilty to one count of committing a sexual act with an inmate and lying about his involvement with her while he worked at the Federal Correctional Institution at Aliceville, a low-security prison for women.

“Our office takes seriously the responsibility of holding individuals accountable when they violate the trust and responsibility placed on them to supervise and protect prisoners by, instead, abusing them — sexually or otherwise,” said U.S. Attorney Jay E. Town. “Bailey’s action makes a very dangerous job more difficult for all members of law enforcement, the vast majority of whom conduct themselves with the highest professional standards and utmost levels of integrity.”

Bailey worked at the Aliceville prison from January 2015 to August 2016. He had direct supervisory and disciplinary authority over inmates, including the victim, identified in court records as H.G., according to a news release.

In January 2016, Bailey was assigned to the dorm where H.G. was housed. He had sex with her at the dorm and later communicated with her by email and telephone when he was not assigned to her dorm. Communication of this type between corrections officers and inmates is prohibited.

When questioned about the matter by agents from the FBI and the Department of Justice's Office of the Inspector General, Bailey lied about the allegations of improper communications and sexual contact with H.G., according to the release.

The maximum penalty for abusive sexual contact is 15 years and a $250,000 fine. The maximum penalty for making false statements is eight years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

The judge scheduled Bailey’s sentencing for March 13.