2nd former worker at Durham County jail accused of having sex with inmate

A second worker has been charged with having sex last year with the same inmate at the Durham County jail.

The worker, 41-year-old Lerin Burnette, was employed by a contract vendor at the Durham County Detention Center downtown, according to the arrest warrant and a Durham County Sheriff’s Office news release Thursday night.

On Monday, Sheriff Clarence Birkhead had announced that 27-year-old detention officer Jade Shanicia Lanique Robertson had been fired for an alleged sex act with an inmate. The encounter was not violent, according to the Sheriff’s Office, but consent is not a legal defense, The News & Observer reported.

Sexual activity by a person having custody of a victim in a governmental institution is a class E felony.

Investigation is ongoing

Both incidents are alleged to have happened on or about Aug. 1, 2023, and involved the same man, who is incarcerated on several charges, including murder, according to court and jail records.

The charges are part of a “continuing investigation into alleged sexual activity at the Durham County Detention Facility,” the Sheriff’s Office said in the news release.

The vendor has been notified of the charge and the person no longer works in the jail, the release stated.

“I will not stand for any activity which contradicts our mission in the care and custody of the people who are confined to the detention facility,” Birkhead said in the release. “Whether it is a Sheriff’s Office employee or a contractor we must hold everyone who interacts with our residents to a high standard.”

Burnette was seen by a magistrate and released on a $25,000 unsecured bond, the same as Robertson.

The N&O has asked the Sheriff’s Office for more information, including the name of the company Burnette worked for and whether more people might be charged. A spokesperson said most of the issues we asked about were part of the ongoing investigation.

Lexi Solomon contributed to this story.

This story was originally published September 13, 2024 at 8:03 AM.