A security supervisor of a correctional facility in Phoenix who sexually abused an inmate was sentenced to more than a year in prison and 10 years of supervised release, the U.S. Department of Justice announced.
Morris Gary Hibbitt, a 51-year-old Avondale man, pled guilty to sexually assaulting the woman inside her living quarters at the Behavioral Systems Southwest Residential Reentry Center, according to court records.
The Federal Bureau of Prisons contracts the center to offer reintegration services for inmates, helping them transition back to civilian life and avoid relapsing into criminal behavior.
On April 14, U.S. District Judge G. Murray Snow sentenced Hibbitt to a 13-month prison term. Afterward, Hibbitt must undergo supervised release for 10 years and register as a sex offender.
The prison sentence comes nearly two years after Hibbitt used his position as a security guard to compel the woman to engage in sexual activity while she was under his supervision, legal records showed.
According to the woman’s report to authorities, she was in her room on the afternoon of May 21, 2023, when Hibbitt walked in. After he turned on the water and light in her room, she told him she was going to shower.
Hibbitt left but later returned. As he did, she reported, he initiated sexual intercourse and later “compelled her to perform oral sex.”
Hibbitt pled guilty to sexual abuse of a ward on June 11, 2024. A sentencing hearing was initially set for Sept. 9, 2024. However, it was rescheduled a handful of times.
In court filings, Hibbitt’s attorney cited concerns that certain allegations against his client would escalate the penalties to several years of imprisonment. The attorney effectively asked the court to consider additional factors in the case that would affect the severity of the prison term.
Earlier in April, prosecutors recommended that Hibbitt serve 13 months in prison and five years of supervised release with the condition that he register as a sex offender.
The federal judge mostly agreed, tacking on an additional five years of supervised release.
Shawn Raymundo covers the West Valley cities of Avondale, Buckeye, Glendale, Goodyear, Peoria and Surprise. Reach him at [email protected] or follow him on X @ShawnzyTsunami.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Avondale security guard jailed in connection with abusing inmate
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