By Charles E. Ramirez
The Detroit News
ANN ARBOR, Mich. — A former women’s prison corrections officer convicted of criminal sexual conduct for having sex with inmates has been sentenced, officials said.
A Washtenaw County Circuit Court judge on Thursday gave Joshua Lee 18 months to 15 years in prison, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel said.
The Wyandotte resident pleaded guilty to a count of second-degree criminal sexual conduct in April, according to Nessel’s office. He was initially charged with four counts, each of which carried a penalty of up to 15 years in prison.
His attorney, Nicholas Somberg, was not immediately available for comment on Tuesday.
“No one is above the law, and everyone deserves safety from sexual abuse,” Nessel said in a statement issued when Lee entered his guilty plea. “My office is committed to prosecuting those who weaponize their authority to exploit the very people they are assigned to monitor and protect. Through the combined efforts of the Michigan Department of Corrections, the Michigan State Police, and prosecutors in my department, we have ensured that Mr. Lee will not only be held accountable but can no longer abuse his position.”
MDOC representatives did not immediately respond Tuesday to a request for comment on the case.
How the investigation started
Authorities alleged the 22-year-old engaged in multiple sexual acts with several inmates while working at the Women’s Huron Valley Correctional Facility.
Huron Valley is the only state correctional facility that houses female offenders. About 2,000 women are held at the prison.
The case was investigated by the Michigan State Police, then referred to Nessel’s office. Prosecutors charged Lee in November 2025.
In January, a district court judge ordered the defendant to stand trial on the criminal sexual conduct charges.
Nessel said state law criminalizes sexual contact by corrections officers, but there is no statute specifically addressing sexual penetration, which occurred in Lee’s case.
As a result, corrections officers are required to be charged with second-degree criminal sexual conduct for contact and penetration offenses, she said.
She urges state lawmakers to update the law so that first and third-degree criminal sexual conduct statutes explicitly cover penetration by corrections staff to better protect inmates and reflect the seriousness of the crimes.
Lee is among those recently accused of committing crimes while working as a law enforcement officer in Michigan.
Earlier this week, a former Berrien County police officer pleaded no contest to charges he falsified salvage vehicle inspections.
Last week, a former Detroit police officer convicted of sending explicit photos of a woman to himself without her permission was sentenced to two years of probation followed by six months in jail.
A jury last week acquitted a former Warren police officer who was charged in connection with the death of two men killed in a crash with his patrol vehicle as it traveled more than 100 mph while he tried to intercept a stolen car.
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