A former corrections officer has pleaded guilty to sexually abusing a female inmate at a Detroit halfway house.
Arthur Foster, 41, of Detroit, pleaded guilty Tuesday to one count of sexual abuse of a detainee, officials with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Michigan said in a press release.
“This defendant abused the public trust in the worst way by sexually assaulting a person under his care,” U.S. Attorney Jerome F. Gorgon Jr. said in the release. “This is crime (that) hurts the victim, the institution, and our system of justice.”
Foster’s attorney, Stacey M. Studnicki, didn’t immediately return messages on Thursday seeking comment.
Authorities said Foster worked as a federal corrections officer at Cherry Health Community Treatment Center, on Townsend Street on the city’s east side.
On Feb. 5, Foster allegedly told a female inmate to meet him in the bathroom, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said. When she arrived in the restroom, Foster sexually abused her, authorities said.
According to an indictment filed in Detroit’s federal court in October 2025, Foster had sexual contact with the same victim three times, on Jan. 17, Jan. 23 and Feb. 5, 2025. On the last occasion, the victim said she didn’t want to continue meeting Foster for sex, according to the plea agreement. Foster allegedly responded by directing her to perform oral sex on him.
He faces up to 15 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentencing is scheduled for 2 p.m. Sept. 14, according to court records. Foster will also be required to register as a sex offender.
“Sexual abuse by anyone, especially someone entrusted with the custody and care of inmates, is an intolerable abuse of power,” Jennifer Runyan, special agent in charge of the FBI Detroit Field Office, said in a statement. “(Foster’s) guilty plea makes clear that this former corrections employee betrayed public trust and violated the most basic standards of human dignity.”
The FBI conducted the investigation along with the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of the Inspector General.
mreinhart@detroitnews.com
This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: Former Detroit prison officer pleads guilty to sexually abusing inmate
Reporting by Max Reinhart, The Detroit News / The Detroit News
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