Another Former Lake County Juvenile Detention Officer Charged With Sexual Misconduct With Juvenile Inmate
Ariah Jazmine Rivera, 22, of Hobart,a former detention officer at the Lake County Juvenile Justice Center, is facing multiple felony charges following an investigation into alleged sexual misconduct with a juvenile inmate.
According to a probable cause affidavit, investigators began looking into the case in January 2025 after receiving information regarding sexual misconduct and trafficking with an inmate involving Rivera while she was employed at the Lake County Juvenile Center in Crown Point.
During the investigation, correctional officers discovered a juvenile inmate in possession of a cell phone and vape pen inside his cell on January 15, 2025. The juvenile told staff the phone had been provided by a detention officer. Investigators later located contraband items inside another juvenile resident’s room, including a black hair tie and a handwritten note that read “I LOVE YOU!!” followed by a heart and a lip-gloss kiss mark, which staff believed had been given to the juvenile by Rivera.
Authorities also reviewed an anonymous grievance submitted by a juvenile resident alleging that Rivera was engaged in sexual relations with a juvenile inmate and that she and another detention officer were bringing contraband such as vape pens, food, and other items into the facility for certain residents.
Investigators reviewed surveillance footage from November 11, 2024, which showed Rivera and another detention officer escorting residents from Echo Pod to the library. According to the affidavit, the juvenile remained near Rivera while other residents watched a movie. At one point, Rivera and the juvenile entered the supervisor’s office and shut the door, remaining inside before exiting later.
During a later grievance and interview conducted with investigators and the juvenile’s attorney present, the juvenile alleged that he and Rivera engaged in sexual intercourse multiple times inside the library supervisor’s office. The juvenile told investigators the encounters occurred while he was on phone calls with family members and that Rivera sometimes jumped over a desk to avoid surveillance cameras.
The juvenile told investigators the sexual encounters occurred between approximately 10 and 15 times, beginning when he was 16 years old and continuing through late 2024.
Investigators also reported the juvenile said Rivera and another detention officer would bring fast food and snacks such as Wendy’s, Popeyes, Sharks, McDonald’s, candy, and Starbursts into the facility for certain residents.
During the investigation, authorities also located initials carved into a door inside the juvenile center reading “A+K” inside a heart, which investigators believed referenced Rivera and the juvenile. The same initials were also reportedly written in the juvenile’s Bible.
Rivera was employed as a detention officer at the Lake County Juvenile Center from April 22, 2024, until her resignation on January 20, 2025, according to the affidavit.
Charges filed March 10,2026:
• Sexual Misconduct With a Minor — Level 4 Felony (2 counts)
• Sexual Misconduct — Level 5 Felony (2 counts)
• Trafficking With an Inmate — Class A Misdemeanor
