A former security guard at a Washington state juvenile facility groomed an inmate for sex and had him record their trysts in the bathroom, court documents show, amid a wave of staff arrests at the troubled detention center.
Michelle Goodman, 31, of Centralia, was charged with two sex crimes on Thursday stemming from the alleged encounters at the Green Hill School in Chehalis, a state-run juvenile facility that houses older male youths and young adults.
She was seen on surveillance video heading to a staff locker area in the facility with the 23-year-old inmate on two separate occasions in January 2024, prosecutors said.
The inmates attorney shared screenshots with investigators clearly showing Goodmans face and featuring her engaging in sex acts with the younger man.
Michelle Goodman, 31, was charged with two sex crimes on Thursday stemming from the alleged encounters at a juvenile facility in Washington
Goodman, who is a former security guard of the facility, is accused of grooming a 23-year-old inmate for sex and having him record their encounters
Goodman was seen on surveillance video heading to a staff locker area in the facility alongside the 23-year-old inmate on two separate occasions in January 2024
The screenshots also showed Goodman wearing three different outfits, indicating that the sex acts occurred on at least three separate occasions, and the background seen in the images matched an employee bathroom in the facility.
The inmate is suing the Green Hill School, claiming that Goodman used her position of power to force the inmate to continue engaging in a sexual relationship, KOMO News reported.
The lawsuit alleges that Goodman repeatedly wanted to be filmed performing oral sex and having intercourse.
Goodman was arrested on Wednesday, The Chronicle reported.
Her bail was set at $100,000 following a preliminary hearing Thursday on custodial misconduct charges. Her arraignment is scheduled for next week.
This is the second time Goodman has been arrested this year for her alleged actions at the facility.
In March, she was busted for allegedly turning a blind eye while two teen inmates attacked each other. It was later revealed that she was the one who allegedly initiated the fight.
Screenshots provided by the inmates attorney allegedly show Goodman engaging in sex acts with the younger man
The inmate is suing the Green Hill School, claiming that Goodman used her position of power to force the inmate to continue engaging in a sexual relationship
Goodman was captured on camera laughing with inmates as they mimicked the punches thrown at a teenage inmate, all while she was on watch as a guard, Fox 13 Seattle reported.
The inmate survived the attack but was left badly injured.
A former nurse at the school told investigators that if a psychiatrist had not intervened to move the inmate after the fight, he would have been killed if he remained in that wing.
The incident occurred in January, the same month Goodman is accused of engaging in sex with the 23-year-old.
She faced one count of prison riot, abuse of office and fourth-degree conspiracy to commit assault stemming from the fight.
In March, she was busted for allegedly turning a blind eye while two teen inmates brutally attacked each other. It was later revealed that she initiated the fight
She faced one count of prison riot, abuse of office and fourth-degree conspiracy to commit assault stemming from the fight after the inmate was left badly injured
Goodman was captured on camera laughing with inmates as they mimicked the punches thrown at a teenage inmate - all while she was on duty to guard the facility
Goodman was released on $20,000 bail after a judge granted her unsecured bail due to her lack of a criminal history.
She was set to plead guilty and be sentenced later this month for that case, but withdrew her plea due to the lawsuit from the 23-year-old inmate, The Chronicle reported.
The Chehalis Police Department stated that this is the fifth person employed by Green Hill we have arrested in 2024, three of which involved in sexual misconduct.
All five of those employees taken into custody were employed as corrections staff at the time when the offenses occurred.
The facility provides inmates with a safe, structured, and secure environment where youth can learn new skills, develop positive habits and disengage from the activities that brought them here, according to its website.