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Written by: A. Smith
Published May 9, 2025 @ 9:04 AM ET
TATTNALL COUNTY, Ga. – A Georgia Department of Corrections employee working at Smith State Prison has been arrested following allegations of inappropriate sexual conduct with an inmate.
Kristen Leslee Pearson, 24, of Baxley, was taken into custody by the Georgia Department of Corrections’ Criminal Investigations Division. According to arrest warrants, Pearson is facing two felony charges: Improper Sexual Contact with an Inmate and Violation of Oath by a Public Officer.
Investigators allege Pearson engaged in sexually explicit behavior with an inmate at the Glennville facility between March 1 and March 23, 2025. The second charge stems from accusations that she breached her oath of office by participating in the conduct.
Georgia law prohibits individuals in state custody from legally consenting to sexual acts with state employees, agents, or foster parents.
Pearson was booked into the Tattnall County Jail and later released on a $10,000 bond.
If convicted, she could face between one and 25 years in prison and up to $100,000 in fines for the sexual misconduct charge. The violation of oath charge carries a potential sentence of up to five years.
Court documents indicate that Pearson has hired criminal defense attorney Jack Downie of Vidalia.
Pearson is not the first staff member at Smith State Prison to face criminal charges involving inmates. At least three other former employees currently face similar accusations. The facility has also dealt with a range of serious incidents, including a murder-suicide involving a smuggled firearm, the killing of a corrections officer by an inmate, and an alleged multi-million dollar criminal operation that has been linked to three deaths outside the prison and led to the arrest of the warden.