Central Islip NY
8-25-2026 9:11pm

Former Suffolk County Correction Officer Sentenced for Sexually Assaulting Inmate

Former Suffolk County Correction Officer Sentenced for Sexually Assaulting Inmate

By Samantha Vogel | Long Island Daily News

SUFFOLK COUNTY, N.Y. — A former Suffolk County correction officer was sentenced Tuesday to 18 months in jail after admitting that he sexually assaulted an inmate while on duty at the Riverhead Correctional Facility, according to the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office.

Jason Middleton, 37, of Central Islip, was sentenced on August 25 after pleading guilty in June to Criminal Sexual Act in the Third Degree, a Class E felony, and Official Misconduct, a Class A misdemeanor.

Middleton was also ordered to register as a sex offender, according to prosecutors.

The Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office said Middleton began working as a correction officer at the Riverhead Correctional Facility in 2019, where his duties included guarding inmates.

According to court documents and Middleton’s admissions during his guilty plea, the sexual assault occurred sometime between June 5 and August 14, 2023.

Prosecutors said Middleton escorted an inmate into a utility walkway between jail cells that he knew was a blind spot in the facility’s security camera coverage.

Once inside the area, prosecutors said Middleton closed the door and ordered the inmate to perform oral sex on him. The inmate complied.

Arrested by Public Corruption Investigators

Middleton was arrested on November 24, 2023, by members of the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Public Corruption Squad.

Following his arrest, the Suffolk County Sheriff’s Office suspended him without pay.

Middleton ultimately pleaded guilty on June 26, 2026, before Acting Supreme Court Justice Karen M. Wilutis.

As part of his plea, Middleton resigned from his position with Suffolk County.

Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond A. Tierney condemned Middleton’s conduct as an abuse of the authority entrusted to correction officers.

“The vast majority of correction officers uphold their duties with the honesty and professionalism our justice system depends on,” Tierney said. “This defendant took advantage of the trust placed with him to commit an outrageous abuse of power and a serious crime.”

Tierney said his office would continue prosecuting cases involving abuses of public trust and thanked the Suffolk County Sheriff’s Office for assisting with the investigation.

Sentenced to 18 Months

On Tuesday, Acting Supreme Court Justice Wilutis sentenced Middleton to one year and six months in jail and sex offender registration.

Middleton was represented by attorney James Pascarella.

The case was prosecuted by Deputy Bureau Chief Laura de Oliveira and Bureau Chief Kevin Ward of the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Public Corruption Bureau.

The case highlights the particularly serious responsibility placed on correction officers, who exercise significant authority over people in government custody.

For prosecutors, Middleton’s conduct represented not only a sexual offense but an abuse of the power entrusted to him as a public employee responsible for the safety and supervision of inmates.

Source: Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office

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