A former guard at a juvenile facility in Washington state groomed an inmate for sex and had him record their dates in the bathroom, court documents allege, amid a wave of arrests of staff at the troubled detention center.
Michelle Goodman, 31, of Centralia, was charged Thursday with two sex crimes stemming from the alleged encounters at Green Hill School in Chehalis, a state-run juvenile facility that houses older male youth and young adults.
She was seen on surveillance video twice in January 2024 going to a staff locker at the facility with the 23-year-old inmate, prosecutors said.
The inmate’s attorney shared screenshots with investigators that clearly showed Goodman’s face performing sex acts on the younger man.
Michelle Goodman, 31, was charged Thursday with two sex crimes stemming from the alleged encounters at a Washington juvenile facility
Goodman, a former guard at the facility, is accused of grooming a 23-year-old inmate for sex and having him record their encounters
Goodman was seen twice on surveillance video in January 2024 going to a staff locker at the facility with the 23-year-old inmate.
The screenshots also showed Goodman wearing three different outfits, indicating that the sexual acts occurred on at least three different occasions, and that the background in the images corresponded to an employee bathroom at the facility.
The inmate is suing Green Hill School, claiming Goodman “used her position of power to coerce the inmate into a sexual relationship.” KOMO news reported.
The lawsuit alleges that “Goodman repeatedly wanted to be filmed performing oral sex and intercourse.”
Goodman was arrested Wednesday, The Chronicle reported.
Her bond was set at $100,000 following a preliminary hearing Thursday on charges of misconduct by jail. Her arraignment is scheduled for next week.
This is the second time this year that Goodman has been arrested for her alleged actions at the facility.
In March, she was arrested for “turning a blind eye” while two teenage inmates attacked each other. It was later revealed that she was the one who allegedly initiated the fight.
Screenshots provided by the inmate’s attorney allegedly show Goodman engaging in sexual acts with the younger man
Inmate sues Green Hill School, claiming Goodman ‘used her position of power to coerce the inmate into a sexual relationship’
Goodman was captured on camera laughing with inmates as they mimicked punches thrown at a teenage inmate as she stood guard. Fox 13 Seattle reported.
The prisoner survived the attack, but was seriously 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 had stayed in that wing.”
The incident occurred in January, the same month Goodman is accused of having sex with the 23-year-old.
She faced one count each of prison riot, abuse of office and fourth-degree conspiracy to commit assault as a result of the fight.
In March, she was arrested for “turning a blind eye” as two teenage inmates brutally attacked each other. It was later revealed that she had started the fight
She faced one count each of prison riot, abuse of office and fourth-degree conspiracy to commit assault stemming from the fight after the inmate was left seriously injured.
Goodman was caught on camera laughing with inmates as they mimicked the punches thrown at a teenage inmate – while she was on duty guarding the facility
Goodman was released on $20,000 bail after a judge granted her unsecured bail due to her lack of criminal history.
She was scheduled to plead guilty and be sentenced in that case later this month, but withdrew her plea because of the 23-year-old inmate’s trial, The Chronicle reported.
Chehalis police stated that “this is the fifth person employed by Green Hill that we have arrested in 2024, three of whom were involved in sexual misconduct.”
All five employees taken into custody were working as corrections staff at the time of the incident.
The facility will provide inmates with a “safe, structured and secure environment where youth can learn new skills, develop positive habits and disconnect from the activities that brought them here,” the prison said. website.