A Snohomish County Jail custodial officer Wednesday was charged with custodial misconduct for allegedly having sexual contact with a prisoner.
The officer was identified as William Adam Cassel Sr., 52, of Arlington. He’s on paid leave pending the outcome of the case, deputy prosecutor Janice Albert said.
She charged him with one count of first-degree sexual misconduct, a felony, and two counts of second-degree sexual misconduct, gross misdemeanors.
The alleged sexual activity happened in the jail between June and September 2004 with a 34-year-old female prisoner. She was awaiting resolution of a felony charge that eventually sent her to the Washington Corrections Center for Women in Purdy, Albert said.
When she was sent to prison, Cassel and the woman maintained contact, Albert said. He wrote more than 130 notes, cards and letters to her, Albert said.
In addition, he sent her gifts and a photo of his son, paid off some of her financial obligations and gave her about $700 to buy incidentals at Purdy, Albert said.
The communications stopped when Purdy officials contacted the jail about the letters, he said. Unaware why he had stopped writing her, the woman sent him several angry letters berating him for not keeping his promises to her, he said.
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