Woman charged in abuse case returns to Idaho

BOISE (AP) - A woman who worked at Juvenile Corrections Center Nampa four years ago is facing charges after being accused of abusing three inmates both inside and outside the facility.

The Idaho Statesman reports that 41-year-old Valerie Lieteau was extradited from California on Monday. She was charged in 3rd District Magistrate Court in Caldwell on Tuesday with two counts of sexual battery on a minor and two counts of sexual contact with a juvenile inmate.

Lieteau, who worked at the facility from 2008 to 2011, told police in 2014 that she had conducted classes on sexually transmitted diseases and only engaged with inmates professionally.

A previous investigation into sexual abuse at the center has led to the firing of several employees, and several former inmates have filed lawsuits.

One of the lawsuits claims that Lieteau had sex with two 18-year-olds and a 17-year-old. The lawsuit said that Lieteau took an 18-year-old into a private examination room or other areas out of range of cameras and had sex with him at least 15 times.

The lawsuit also said that, after the 18-year-old was released, Lieteau went to his hometown at least twice and had sex with him there.

It's not clear if Lieteau has an attorney. Canyon County officials didn't return a call from The Associated Press on Wednesday.

In another case, a former supervisor at the facility was sentenced to 20 years in prison last year for having sex with a 15-year-old male inmate.

In February, Julie McCormick was released from jail in a process called retained jurisdiction. As part of that process, her sentence was changed to 10 years of supervised probation.

In all, 11 males and one female say they were sexually abused by workers at the center.