Johnson County Sheriff Duane Burgess says he received information Thursday morning that a correctional officer with the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office was possibly engaged in a relationship with a female inmate.

The administrative staff met to discuss the allegations. A criminal and internal investigation was opened and members of the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office Investigations Division spoke with the female inmate and her attorney.

After investigators obtained a statement from the inmate, Sheriff Duane Burgess spoke with the sheriff of Morgan County and requested two of his detectives to handle any potential criminal investigation and speak with the correctional officer.  Detectives from the Morgan County Sheriff’s Office were briefed on the allegations and they began their investigation.

By 5:30 pm Thursday, Correctional Officer Zachariah B. Johnson, 28, of North Vernon, was interviewed at the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office. At the conclusion of the interview, and after consultation with Johnson Prosecutor Joseph Villanueva,  Johnson was arrested and booked into the Johnson County Jail on three counts of sexual misconduct, three counts of official misconduct and trafficking with an inmate.

Johnson’s employment with the Sheriff’s Office has been terminated.

Morgan County Sheriff’s investigators will be presenting an affidavit to the Johnson County Prosecutor’s Office for review. When the allegations have been reviewed, Prosecutor Villanueva will make a decision on any formal charges.

Sheriff Burgess notes that these allegations involve a Sheriff’s office employee allegedly engaged in criminal acts while working in his official capacity as an employee, the Morgan County Sheriff’s Office was brought into this criminal matter to ensure complete transparency.

Sheriff Burgess says this type of action will not be tolerated by his office.