An Iowa woman, Jessica Lynn Larson, has been indicted on charges of abusive sexual contact with an inmate and making false statements to federal law enforcement, according to Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa D. Kirkpatrick.
Court documents reveal that Larson, 37, was employed as a nurse by the Bureau of Prisons at the Federal Medical Center in Rochester, Minnesota. Larson allegedly engaged in a romantic relationship with an inmate, referred to as Victim A, during which they exchanged sexually explicit letters. Larson and the inmate are said to have had a sexual encounter in a shower room on April 3, 2024.
Following the incident, nursing staff reported Larson's involvement with the inmate, leading to a search of Victim A's cell. Letters from Larson were discovered hidden in the cell, and officials found letters from Victim A in Larson's backpack. When confronted, Larson reportedly submitted a false report, accusing Victim A of sexual assault and alleging that he threatened her children. Despite being placed on administrative leave, Larson later traveled over 600 miles to send a love letter to Victim A, who had been transferred to a different facility.
Acting U.S. Attorney Kirkpatrick emphasized the seriousness of the charges, stating, "In Minnesota, we take sexual abuse—particularly when committed by those in positions of authority—very seriously. Likewise, lying to the United States is unacceptable and will not be tolerated. My office will continue to aggressively prosecute defendants who commit these crimes."
Larson is scheduled to appear in U.S. District Court before Magistrate Judge John F. Docherty on April 9, 2025.
The indictment follows an investigation by the Department of Justice's Office of the Inspector General and the Bureau of Prisons. Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph H. Thompson is responsible for the prosecution.
It is important to note that an indictment is an allegation, and defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.