A woman who worked at a correctional facility in Edinburgh has been charged with a crime after an investigation showed she became pregnant with an inmate’s baby.
Heather R. Sinnett, 27, Lebanon, was charged with sexual misconduct. If she is found guilty of the felony charge, she could face between one and six years in prison.
Sinnett, an Army sergeant, was assigned to work at the Edinburgh Correctional Facility, a state-run minimum security facility located on Camp Atterbury’s campus, and was often tasked with supervising inmates, according to charging documents.
The Indiana Department of Correction began an investigation last year into a report that Sinnett and an inmate had engaged in a sexual relationship. The state investigator reviewed emails and phone calls between Sinnett and the inmate. In those discussions, the two discussed Sinnett being pregnant, and the inmate being the father of the child, according to the report.
Sinnett told the inmate she was looking forward to his release so they could be together and take care of their baby, the report said.
When Sinnett was interviewed by the investigator, she told him the inmate did not rape her, but declined to answer more questions and asked for a lawyer, the report said.
The inmate told the investigator he and Sinnett snuck into a closet while other inmates were distracted, the report said. The inmate was serving a sentence at the facility for a drug dealing charge, and was transferred to another state prison last year, according to state records.
Sinnett’s supervisor said Sinnett commonly escorted inmates to another building to get ice, and had training in how to supervise inmates, the report said.
Sinnett, 1933 Lafayette Ave., Apt 1B, was arrested and taken to the Johnson County jail, where she was released on $3,300 bond.
