ATLANTA - A former halfway house employee in Atlanta will spend 1 year and 6 months in federal prison after admitting he sexually assaulted an inmate in his custody and lied to a federal agent.
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Federal prosecutors said Tristan Cox, 35, of Atlanta, Ga., also will serve 1 year of supervised release after he pleaded guilty to violating the inmate’s civil rights and making false statements to a federal agent.
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According to information presented in court, Cox worked in April 2024 as a residence monitor at the Atlanta Residential Reentry Center, a halfway house run under contract with the Federal Bureau of Prisons.
Prosecutors said Cox sexually assaulted an inmate in a supply room during an overnight shift.
When federal agents questioned him about the encounter, Cox first denied any sexual contact, according to prosecutors.
After agents told him DNA results backed the victim’s account, prosecutors said Cox falsely told them the victim assaulted him.
“Cox violated the trust placed in him by sexually abusing an inmate and lying to investigators,” U.S. Atty. Theodore S. Hertzberg said.
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