Corrections Employee Denies Charges of Extensive Sexual Relationship with Inmate

An Evansville woman who worked at a state corrections facility has pleaded not guilty to felony charges alleging she carried on a long-term sexual relationship with an inmate, an act prosecutors say exploited her official position for over one hundred encounters.

Shelli Ann Poulignot, 28, entered her plea in Natrona County District Court on Wednesday to four counts of second-degree sexual assault. Wyoming law explicitly prohibits custodial sexual assault, which occurs when someone in a position of authority, such as a corrections employee, engages in sexual acts with someone under their supervision. Each count against Poulignot carries a mandatory minimum sentence of two years in prison and a maximum of twenty years.