POCATELLO - A former correctional officer at the Pocatello Women's Correctional Center was arraigned Thursday afternoon on a charge of felony sexual contact with an inmate.

Bill Chuck Lloyd, 32, of Shelley, resigned his position in December 2008, although it is unclear whether an ongoing investigation prompted his leaving.

An investigative report compiled by the Pocatello Police Department indicates Lloyd admitted to inappropriate sexual conduct with an inmate on several occasions in November 2008. The alleged conduct escalated from hugging and kissing to at least one incidence of the inmate performing oral sex on Lloyd.

The woman, who was released on parole in early January, has also corroborated the contact.

The alleged conduct occurred in Unit 1, a separate building from the main prison, housing low-risk inmates who work during the day in the community and surrounding areas prior to their release from prison. Lloyd was working night shifts in the unit.

Lloyd, who began his employment at the prison in May 2006, resigned his position on Dec. 13 after being transferred off of Unit 1 detail.

During the investigation, the inmate was temporarily placed back in the main population of the prison. The woman was not subject to sanctions. Warden Brian Underwood said that the former inmate is considered a victim due to a statutory inability to consent while under care of the Department of Correction.

"He has a right to be presumed innocent until he goes through (legal proceedings)," Underwood said. "I have to be careful as an administrator that I don't make anybody think that I think he's guilty or not guilty. That's why we do an investigation and send it to court. But the reality is that I have zero tolerance for this type of conduct at our facility."

Lloyd waived a reading of the criminal complaint by Magistrate Lynn Brower. His next appearance is a preliminary hearing scheduled for 10:30 a.m. on March 26. Brower continued Lloyd's release on his own recognizance.

The maximum penalty for the charge is life imprisonment and a $50,000 fine.