POCATELLO — A former correctional officer at the Pocatello Women’s Correctional Center was placed on eight years probation Monday.

Kim Rogers was employed at PWCC for much of the ten years prior to his being charged with felony sexual contact with an inmate in June of 2012. The charge stemmed from an incident in March of last year.

Rogers pleaded guilty in March to a reduced charge of attempted sexual contact with an adult inmate, also a felony, as part of a plea agreement with prosecutors who agreed to recommend probation during his sentencing. Rogers faced up to 15 years in prison.

Rogers was originally slated for sentencing in May but at that time, Dunn told Rogers’ attorney, Justin Oleson, that he was hesitant to sentence his client.

Dunn said in May that he was concerned there wasn’t enough information on Rogers for the purpose of sentencing. Specifically, Dunn was considering the need for a psychosexual evaluation of Rogers.

After conferring with his client and prosecutors, Oleson said simply that if it were something Dunn felt compelled to order, there was little he or Rogers could do about it.

Dunn did order the psychosexual evaluation and Rogers was back in on Monday for sentencing, during which it was revealed that the evaluation did provide additional information for the judge, including an opinion that Rogers was not a substantial threat to the community.

During Monday’s sentencing, Oleson recommended his client be placed on probation, even though he noted that a presentence investigation report recommended the retained jurisdiction program.

Bannock Count Deputy Prosecutor Jared Johnson said he would not recommend a withheld judgment for Rogers, saying that he didn’t believe the seriousness of the crime warranted such a recommendation.

Johnson suggested probation was appropriate and recommended an underlying sentence of three years fixed and four years indeterminate.

After Rogers made a statement, apologizing to his victim and those with whom he worked at PWCC, Dunn then sentenced the former correctional officer.

The judge said he agreed with Johnson in regards to the seriousness of the crime and said he was unwilling to give Rogers a withheld judgment.

“You violated a significant trust here,” Dunn said. “I have to send a message that even if probation is acceptable, this kind of behavior will not be tolerated.”

Dunn sentenced Rogers to three years fixed and seven years indeterminate before suspending the sentence and placing him on eight years probation.