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Brooklyn MDC correctional officer indicted for sexually abusing detainee, prosecutors say
By
Charles Lane
Published Mar 18, 2026
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Zhang Fengguo/Xinhua via Getty Images
By
Charles Lane
Published Mar 18, 2026
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A correctional officer at the troubled Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn was arrested on charges that he sexually abused a detainee he was responsible for guarding, federal prosecutors said.
James Johnson, 36, of New York, was indicted Wednesday on charges of sexual abuse, sexual abuse of a ward and making false statements to federal law enforcement, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of New York. He faces up to life in prison if convicted on the top charge.
"Johnson leveraged his position as a correctional officer to take advantage of a man he was supposed to be protecting in his capacity as a prison guard and used his access to gratify his own sexual desires," U.S. Attorney Joseph Nocella Jr. said.
Johnson works as a correctional officer and mentor coordinator at the facility. On at least two occasions in May 2025, he ordered an detainee to accompany him to other areas of the jail, where he sexually abused him, according to court documents.
According to a government bail memorandum, the encounters took place in secluded areas of the facility, including the chaplain’s office and a rarely used suite of offices. Prosecutors said Johnson directed the detainee to perform oral sex and attempted to have sexual intercourse with him.
After one of the encounters, the detainee wiped semen onto his prison jumpsuit, which was later recovered by federal agents. A lab analysis found it was extraordinarily more likely than not that the DNA matched Johnson, according to prosecutors.
Prosecutors said surveillance video corroborates the movements of Johnson and the detainee inside the facility.
When FBI agents and investigators from the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of the Inspector General interviewed Johnson in October 2025, he denied engaging in sexual acts with any detainees, prosecutors said. Authorities said the statement was false.
The Metropolitan Detention Center has faced years of scrutiny over violence, staff misconduct and conditions inside the jail. The facility drew national attention in 2019 after a power outage left detainees without heat or electricity for days during the winter.
Prosecutors said they were seeking a substantial bond package, citing the seriousness of the charges and Johnson’s alleged false statements to investigators.
An attorney for Johnson did not immediately respond to requests for comment. A Bureau of Prisons spokesperson declined to comment.
Johnson was expected to be arraigned on Wednesday afternoon in federal court in Brooklyn.
Tagged
brooklyn
new york city
public safety
Charles Lane
Charles is a Day-of reporter focused on breaking news and enterprise. He’s very friendly and can be reached at [email protected], or more securely on whatsapp/signal 631-295-6715
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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