Ex-Nebraska prison worker avoids jail after having inmate’s baby

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A former Nebraska prison worker avoided doing hard time after she pleaded guilty to sexually abusing an inmate and getting pregnant.

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On Tuesday, a judge in Omaha sentenced Samantha Cedillo to three years probation on an amended charge, ordered her to follow other restrictions and attend a parenting program. She also must register as a sex offender.

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“This is a disturbing case,” District Court Judge LeAnne Srb said to Cedillo, according to the Omaha World-Herald. “What happened here should not have happened.”

The judge said, after reviewing the pre-sentencing report, Cedillo suffered from traumatic events in her life before the sexual assault, adding she took responsibility for her actions.

Cedillo’s lawyer, James McGough, told the court there were some positives to come out of the sad case.

“One of the issues created with trauma she has experienced in her past, it changes someone and has ripple effects,” he said. “A struggle to create clear lines and boundaries.”

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McGough added Cedillo has been raising the child and found a new job.

Cedillo, who was 31 at the time of her arrest and living in Council Bluffs, Iowa, began working at the Omaha Correctional Center as a non-clinical program manager in June 2021.

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According to court filings, Cedillo was suspected of having an inappropriate relationship in November 2021 with a 47-year-old inmate who was working as a library clerk at the correctional facility while serving a life sentence for murder.

Staff members compiled 10 incidents involving the pair that were either questionable or violations of conduct over the next four months.

After the inmate was removed from his library duties, Cedillo continued to spend time with him in her office with the door shut.

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In March 2022, Cedillo was caught on surveillance video removing her radio belt in her office with the inmate inside. They then moved away from the camera’s view.

According to reports, an officer entered the library and saw Cedillo rushing to her chair with messy hair and her shirt untucked.

Cedillo was asked to file an incident report, but she instead resigned from the job.

Following an investigation, authorities discovered Cedillo created a baby registry with a December due date, nine months after the last incident.

Investigators served a search warrant to obtain the child’s DNA after the baby was born, and testing determined the inmate was the likely father.

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