Following a probe into sexual abuse of inmates at a California federal women's prison, two terminated correctional officers pleaded guilty to multiple felony counts on Thursday. Andrew Jones, a former cook supervisor at the Federal Correctional Institution in Dublin, admitted guilt to six felony charges involving the sexual abuse of three women under his supervision. Nakie Nunley, a prison call center guard, pleaded guilty to four counts of sexual abuse and five lesser felony counts of abusive sexual contact with five women. Both men also admitted to making false statements to authorities.

These guilty pleas follow an Associated Press investigation last year that exposed a deeply disturbing pattern of widespread abuse and cover-ups at the Dublin facility, situated about 40 miles east of San Francisco.

The Dublin Federal Correctional Institution (Anda Chu/MediaNews Group/The Mercury News via Getty Images)

Sentencing for the former officers will occur at a later date. Nunley's plea agreement details an incident from May 2021 where he summoned an inmate to his office, propositioned her for sexual acts, and asserted his ability to influence her prison experience. The inmate acquiesced to his demands.

The Federal Correctional Institution in Dublin, California (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)

Jones and Nunley represent at least the seventh and eighth former employees charged with inmate abuse, following the prosecution of the former warden and chaplain last year. In December, former warden Ray Garcia was sentenced to six years for molesting inmates and coercing them into posing naked.

Federal Correctional Institution, Dublin (Anda Chu/MediaNews Group/The Mercury News via Getty Images)

Sexual contact between prison staff and inmates is strictly prohibited. Correctional employees hold significant power over inmates, creating a potential for abuse of authority.