Northern California correctional officer arrested for having sex with inmate, sheriff says

An El Dorado County sheriff’s employee was arrested Friday on suspicion of having sex with an inmate incarcerated at a local jail, according to the Sheriff’s Office.

Michael Griffiths IV, 24, worked as a correctional officer with the El Dorado County Sheriff’s Office.

The El Dorado County Sheriff’s Office became aware of an alleged sexual assault by Griffiths and began investigating, according to a Sheriff’s Office news release.

Griffiths was arrested Friday and faces a felony charge of having consensual sex with an adult detained in jail, deputies said.

Griffiths is being held at the El Dorado County jail in Placerville in lieu of $50,000 bail as of Friday night. It appears he was also arrested at the jail, according to online jail logs.

El Dorado County has two jails: one in Placerville and one in South Lake Tahoe. It’s unclear where Griffiths worked and where the alleged sexual assault happened.

Griffiths has been placed on administrative leave, deputies said.

This story was originally published November 22, 2024 at 7:09 PM.