Former Casper Corrections Employee Accused of Sex With Inmate
A former resident manager of the Casper Re-Entry Center faces three sex assault charges for her alleged sexual relationship with an inmate.
Tosha L. Sheesley, 24, pleaded not guilty Friday morning in Natrona County District Court to two counts of second-degree sexual assault and one count of third-degree sexual assault. She could face four to 55 years imprisonment and $30,000 in fines if convicted on all counts.
Charging papers say investigators with the Wyoming Department of Corrections started working on the case in April.
Sheesley was employed as resident manager from Nov. 28, 2016 through March 30, 2017, while the inmate she allegedly had sex with was incarcerated from Dec. 17, 2015 through March 15, 2017.
On March 15, the inmate was arrested by the Natrona County Sheriff's Office after he was allegedly found to be in possession of methamphetamine while on CRC property. The inmate's cell phone was confiscated, and authorities allegedly found personal messages between the inmate and Sheesley.
On March 16 and 17, court documents say, the inmate called Sheesley's personal phone. During those calls, Sheesley said she was worried because she had been called into the CRC director's office and told the inmate that as long as "the pictures" were erased from his phone, "nothing could be traced back to her."
Sheesley and the inmate allegedly said "I love you" to each other during the calls, and Sheesley "emphasized that she was probably in a lot of trouble and could potentially go to federal prison." Sheesley also acknowledged that their conversations were being recorded.
On April 18 and May 2, an investigator interviewed the inmate at the Natrona County Detention Center. The inmate allegedly admitted that he and Sheesley had sex at least three times in Sheesley's vehicle while parked behind the baseball fields in north Casper, and those sexual encounters occurred while Sheesley was employed at CRC and the inmate was incarcerated.
On at least two occasions, the inmate reportedly said, he and Sheesley went out in the community with another resident manager, including having dinner at someone's house.
The other resident manager was interviewed on the same dates. That resident manager reportedly said Sheesley disclosed her relationship with the inmate. At the dinner, Sheesley introduced the inmate as her boyfriend.
The resident manager, who was married to a Casper police officer, said Sheesley had come over to their house and told them Sheesley was afraid of going to jail because of the sexual relationship.
An investigator interviewed Sheesley on May 9. Sheesley allegedly said that she had sex with the inmate up to six times, and engaged in other sexual contact with him as well. She corroborated the inmate's claim that they had sex while parked behind the baseball fields in north Casper.
Sheesley specified that the sexual contact took place in February and March, when she was employed at CRC. She allegedly said she knew it was against the law.
On May 15, Sheesley visited the inmate at the Natrona County Detention Center. That visitation was recorded.
Sheesley allegedly told the inmate that she had met with investigators and said the investigators knew things that only the inmate could have known, such as where the sexual intercourse took place and the location of one of Sheesley's tattoos.
Sheesley told the inmate that she admitted everything to the investigators. She also told the inmate that had she met him before she started working at CRC, she would not have started working there.
A trial date will be set later on. Sheesley remains free on bond.