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Former Iowa Jailor Accused Of Having Sex With Inmate In Utility Closet, Rec Yard
Kayla Mae Bergom is accused of having a months-long intimate relationship with a 29-year-old inmate, which included sexual encounters in the jail's utility closet and recreation yard.
A former corrections officer in Iowa has been criminally charged after allegedly carrying on a months-long sexual affair with one of her jailed inmates.
Kayla Mae Bergom, 27, is accused of having multiple sexual encounters with an unnamed inmate following an investigation conducted by the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI), according to Cedar Rapids newspaper, The Gazette. Bergom, who worked as a jailor for the Tama County Jail, was found to have allegedly engaged in sexual activity in various locations around her place of employment.
Bergom, of Belle Plaine, Iowa, was charged in May with three misdemeanor counts of sexual misconduct with an offender, the Gazette announced Thursday.
DCI Investigators said the sexual relationship lasted seven months, beginning in September 2020, while Bergom was employed at the jail, according to ABC Cedar Rapids affiliate KCRG.
Court records obtained by the Gazette stated Bergom and the 29-year-old inmate engaged in sexual activity in a utility closet in October 2020. Two other sexual encounters took place in the recreation yard, once in September 2020 and once in April 2021.
It’s unclear whether investigators believe there were more similar occurrences between the jailor and the unnamed man.
Tama County Sheriff Dennis Kucera said Bergom “immediately” resigned from her position with the county after three years on the job, per the Gazette. It was unclear at what point during the investigation this took place.
An arrest report published by the Tama-Toledo News Chronicle shows Bergom was arrested by the Tama County Sheriff’s Office on April 20 following the issuance of a warrant. She was released the same day on pre-trial release.
Bergom pleaded not guilty to the charges, according to the Gazette.
DCI authorities announced their investigation concluded in March after a county employee notified them of the possible affair but have remained largely tight-lipped since their findings.
Ashlee Kieler, a spokesperson for the Iowa Attorney General’s Office, also declined to offer much information about the case when speaking with KCRG reporters in March but confirmed Bergom no longer worked for the county.
Tama County Sheriff Dennis Kucera previously noted a “conflict of interest” should he comment further when speaking to KCRG in March, pending the DCI investigation.
Open records requests by KCRG’s i9 investigative team were not fulfilled earlier this year by the sheriff’s office, according to the outlet. Officials stated a release of records could jeopardize an ongoing investigation.
Kucera also declined to comment when contacted by Oxygen.com.
DCI officials and the attorney general's office did not immediately respond to requests from Oxygen.com.
Bergom’s trial is scheduled for Aug. 12. If convicted, she faces up to six years behind bars.
