Katelyn Gomez pursed a sexually abusive relationship while a guard at this juvenile jail in Pinellas County, Florida, deputies said. (Mug shot Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office; image of the Pinellas Regional Juvenile Detention Center: Google Maps)
A sergeant for a juvenile detention center is out of a job and facing a criminal charge for allegedly pursuing a sexually abusive, long-term relationship with a 16-year-old inmate.
Katelyn Gomez, 27, was arrested Wednesday for solicitation of a child to engage in an act that constitutes sexual battery by a person in familial or custodial authorities, according to an arrest affidavit and press statement from the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office in Florida.
Deputies said they responded to the state-run jail, the Pinellas Regional Juvenile Detention Center, after letters allegedly written by Gomez were found in the boy’s bed.
“The letters described an ongoing relationship which had developed between the defendant and victim while he was incarcerated,” the arrest affidavit states.
In these letters, Gomez allegedly solicited the boy to engage in sexual acts with her.
“…I love it from the back,” she allegedly wrote in one letter, going on to describe a sexual encounter in further, graphic detail.
“Tease me and don’t play fair with me,” she allegedly wrote.
Gomez was pretty new to the job, hired on as a sergeant on Jan. 5, 2024, and assigned to the boy’s pod three weeks ago. She was told not to be alone with the juveniles, but staffers saw her one-on-one with the boy several times, deputies wrote. Authorities described Gomez writing 10 handwritten letters.
“The relationship and solicitation occurred while said defendant was in a position of familial or custodial authority over the victim who was an inmate at the juvenile detention center,” the documents stated.
There is no indication that she and the boy knew each other before he arrived at the facility. Instead, Gomez allegedly told deputies that she met him there.
“Detectives interviewed Gomez, who admitted to writing the letters to the victim and stated she began developing a relationship with him when they met at the facility several weeks ago,” deputies wrote. “Gomez admitted that she fantasized about having a sexual relationship with the victim and planned to build a life with him once he was released. ”
She allegedly wanted to get married and have children together.
“The defendant agreed disciplinary action was appropriate and that she took her relationship too far with the victim,” authorities wrote.
Gomez was fired as a result.
“At this time, I can share with you that this staff person’s employment was terminated prior to their arrest,” Amanda Slama, spokesperson for the Florida Department of Juvenile Justice, told Law&Crime’s Angenette Levy.
Slama did not immediately respond to a follow-up asking when Gomez was fired and when the alleged abuse was discovered.
Gomez’s bond was set at $5,000, records show.
Angenette Levy contributed to this report.
Note: We added information on Gomez’s bond.
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