Two Female Prison Officers Arrested After Explosive Allegations Of Sex With Inmates
By Passman Akpos
SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS — Two female correctional officials with the Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) have been arrested in separate cases over allegations that they engaged in sexual acts with inmates while working at the same correctional facility.
The officials, identified as Bianca Lopez and Miranda Annette Barrientes-Sedillo, both worked as Inventory and Store Specialists at the TDCJ’s Dominguez Unit in San Antonio, Texas.
Barrientes-Sedillo was reportedly arrested after an allegation surfaced that she had sexual contact with an inmate assigned to work with her at the unit commissary.
According to reports, she allegedly asked another employee to serve as a lookout while she engaged in sexual activity with the inmate.
Records reportedly show that Barrientes-Sedillo joined the Texas Department of Criminal Justice in September 2024
She was subsequently charged with a second-degree felony involving alleged sexual misconduct with an inmate and was released after posting a $25,000 bond.
Just two days after Barrientes-Sedillo’s arrest, Lopez, 37, who also worked at the same unit, was arrested in a separate case involving an allegation of sexual activity with an inmate.
Following her arrest, a source reportedly identified Lopez as the employee described in the allegation, while another informant alleged that she had a relationship with a different inmate.
Lopez has been charged with a third-degree felony alleging violation of the civil rights of a person in custody, with her bond set at $10,000.
The allegations have drawn renewed attention to conduct involving correctional employees and inmates, particularly the strict legal and ethical restrictions governing relationships between prison staff and incarcerated people.
Under Texas law, a conviction for a second-degree felony can carry a prison sentence ranging from two to 20 years, along with a possible fine of up to $10,000.
A third-degree felony conviction can carry two to 10 years in prison, as well as a possible fine of up to $10,000.
The two women are among several TDCJ employees reportedly arrested or charged with offences in 2026.
The Peoples Gazette also reported that Eberechukwu Emmanuel Igwe, a Nigerian-born correctional officer working in the United States, was arrested over an allegation that he assaulted his wife during an argument involving clothes and hats.
Another TDCJ employee, Oluwayomi Obed Edom, was reportedly arrested over allegations involving possession of synthetic cannabinoids and methamphetamine.
In May, Ayodele Abiodun Afosi was reportedly charged with fleeing the scene of an accident after allegedly causing property damage.
In July, The Gazette reported the arrest of another TDCJ correctional officer, Bashir Oladimeji Lawal, over an allegation of public intoxication.
The latest cases have placed further scrutiny on the conduct of correctional personnel employed by the Texas Department of Criminal Justice.
However, the allegations against Lopez and Barrientes-Sedillo remain allegations, and the defendants are entitled to due process and the presumption of innocence unless proven guilty in court.
