Alleged sex with inmate jails Peach County detention officer

A man hired to help guard the Peach County Law Enforcement Center is now jailed on charges of sexual assault of an inmate.

Nicholas Hughley, 43, of Macon, is in custody in Houston County, Peach County Sheriff Terry Deese said.

“He will be served his termination papers today,” Deese said Thursday.

Tuesday, the Peach County Sheriff’s Office called in the GBI to investigate alleged sexual contact between Hughley and a female in custody, according to a release.

Deese said he learned of the allegation when a jail supervisor brought it to his attention when he arrived at work Tuesday.

“One of the ladies in the back who was in custody mentioned it,” Deese said.

The jail, which typically houses about 10 females and about 70 males, has multiple surveillance cameras.

“We noticed him going in and staying awhile,” Deese said.

The sheriff said he did not know of any prior relationship between the two before the woman’s incarceration.

J.T. Ricketson, special agent in charge of the GBI’s office in Perry, issued a statement Thursday morning saying “the GBI discovered that sexual contact had occurred between the detention officer and the inmate.”

Wednesday, the GBI arrested Hughley and charged him with two counts of sexual assault by a law enforcement employee who has sexual contact with an individual in custody and violation of oath by a public officer.

Because he had worked in Peach County, he is being held in Houston County, where he will receive his termination papers.

“With everything going on in our country, this is just another example that public safety officers are human and make mistakes and from time to time we do stupid things, but there are consequences,” Deese said.

This story was originally published October 27, 2016 at 9:13 AM with the headline "Alleged sex with inmate jails Peach County detention officer."