A former Orange County Sheriff’s Department deputy admitted to sexually assaulting two female inmates while on duty at the Theo Lacy Facility, the Orange County District Attorney’s Office confirmed.
Arcadio Rodriguez, 30, of Stanton, pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of sexual battery and received credit for 364 days already served. He must also register as a sex offender.
Authorities discovered Rodriguez possessed a cell phone inside the correctional facility, leading to an additional misdemeanor charge for contraband possession.
The DA’s office stated that Rodriguez has been under GPS monitoring since January 2025 and is now serving one year of formal probation.
Investigators launched the case after uncovering illicit communications that revealed Rodriguez’s inappropriate sexual conduct with inmates.
The misconduct, which began in May 2022, included Rodriguez forming unprofessional relationships with female inmates, touching them intimately over their clothing, and showing them pornographic videos of himself.
“These women were awaiting trial and had no way of escaping a predator who literally held the keys to their captivity and ordered them to perform at his every whim,” said Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer in a statement. He has since pushed for legislative changes that would allow such misconduct to be prosecuted as a felony rather than just a misdemeanor.
Senior Deputy District Attorney David McMurrin of Special Prosecutions prosecuted the case.
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