A former corrections employee in Lincoln has been arrested after investigators say she had sexual contact with an inmate while employed by the Nebraska Department of Correctional Services. Authorities have charged 29-year-old Yocelin Bahena with first-degree sexual abuse of an inmate and unlawful acts by a corrections employee. She was taken into custody Friday and is scheduled to appear in court Monday afternoon for her initial arraignment.
According to court documents, the investigation stems from an incident on November 5, 2025, when Bahena was reportedly off duty and picked up a 22-year-old inmate near the roundabout outside the Community Correctional Center-Lincoln. At the time, Bahena was working at the Reception and Treatment Center.
Investigators allege the two engaged in sexual activity before Bahena drove the inmate to an apartment complex near South 40th Street and Faulkner Drive in Lincoln, where they reportedly looked at apartments together. Court records state she then took the inmate out to eat before returning him to the correctional center.
Authorities believe the pair had sexual contact on three separate occasions while the man was incarcerated and Bahena was employed at the facility. The inmate was later released from custody on January 15 after serving nearly two years in prison.
Bahena began working for the state corrections department in May 2024, less than two weeks after the inmate began serving his sentence. Records show she resigned from her position on November 5, 2025, the same day investigators say the encounter occurred.
Under Nebraska law, corrections employees are prohibited from engaging in sexual relationships with inmates or parolees, even if the interaction is considered consensual. The investigation remains ongoing.
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