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.

The charges are the result of an extensive investigation by the Wyoming Department of Corrections. According to court documents, the investigation, which included forensic analysis of cell phones and emails along with recorded interviews, found evidence of what is described as a “protracted sexual relationship” between Poulignot and a 41-year-old inmate. The state alleges the relationship involved approximately one hundred separate encounters in various Natrona County locations, including inside a Casper Re-Entry Center (CRC) work transport van.

The investigation file was turned over to prosecutors in September. Officials say interviews with both Poulignot and the inmate corroborated the digital and physical evidence of the relationship. The CRC, a facility focused on preparing inmates for reintegration into society, has not publicly commented on Poulignot’s current employment status following the allegations. A request for comment sent to the center after business hours was not immediately returned.

As the case moves forward, the court will schedule future hearings where evidence will be presented. Poulignot, like all defendants, is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law. The mandatory prison sentences attached to the charges highlight the severity with which Wyoming law views the breach of trust and authority inherent in such allegations within the corrections system.