Booking photo for Teresa M. Pitcher (Courtesy: Cache County Jail).
LOGAN — A 55-year-old Smithfield woman, convicted of having sex with an inmate while working at the Cache County Jail, has been ordered to complete community service instead of being sent to jail.
Teresa M. Pitcher was sentenced in 1st District Court Tuesday morning. She previously pleaded guilty to attempted custodial sexual relations, amended to a class A misdemeanor.
Public defender Shannon Demler said he didn’t want to excuse Pitcher’s actions but explained that she was taken advantage of by the inmate, to get what he wanted. He said she had no criminal history and recently had several medical procedures done that would make incarceration difficult.
Pitcher expressed sorrow for her actions. She said she wanted to change her life and be a better person.
In August, Pitcher was employed by a contract food service company that provides meal services to the jail. She had been with the company for approximately four months.
Cache County Sheriff’s deputies became suspicious of Pitcher while monitoring phone calls in the jail. They discovered conversations between Pitcher and a Utah State Prison inmate, who was being housed at the jail for the Utah Department of Corrections.
Through the investigation, deputies found there to be at least one instance where allegedly oral sex had taken place between Pitcher and the inmate. They also learned that she allegedly brought contraband into the facility for the inmate.
Pitcher was released by the food service company and is no longer employed at the jail. The suspected inmate was also transferred back to the prison.
During Tuesday’s sentencing, Judge Brian Cannell said Pitcher’s behavior was wrong and should have never occurred. He placed her on probation for one year and sentenced her to provide 300 hours of community service. He also ordered her to complete a mental health evaluation and receive treatment.
will@cvradio.com