SANTA CRUZ — A fired and convicted ex-corrections officer flirted with inmates, offered two former inmates a “threesome” and inserted his fingers inside a 25-year-old woman who was a known sexual misconduct risk in July 2017. Those new details aired when Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office released an extensive investigation report into a criminal sexual assault case against an authority.

The assault happened in the main jail: in west housing’s J Unit between 12:49 and 2:10 p.m. — after lunch time during hours typically used for cell checks — on July 15, 2017. There were multiple women in the dank, sometimes dim cell. A female inmate who had “flashed” her breasts while in custody either lured the corrections officer — or depending on other accounts — he approached her alone and asked her to pull down her pants while another inmate looked away but heard whispering and kissing.

Former corrections officer Marco del Real, a 30-year-old ex-MMA fighter, was not supposed to enter the cell alone.

As per regulations, two officers are supposed to enter a unit together if entering space occupied by the opposite gender. And because the victimized inmate was classified as a PREA — Prison Rape Elimination Act — detainee, her cell checks accompanied distinct instructions. The classification lists inmates at risk of being sexual victims or predators while in custody, according to the investigation report the sheriff’s office released in accordance with a new state transparency law. The new rule, known as Senate Bill 1421, requires law enforcement agencies to report officer misconduct, dishonesty and sexual wrongdoing.

Del Real’s case resulted in criminal prosecution and his conviction. He entered a plea of no contest before Superior Court Judge Stephen Siegel this month and the court dismissed two charges: having sex with a confined person and sexual penetration by force.

“Despite knowing that (the victim) was a PREA risk and personally observing her engaging in overtly sexual behavior both with you and other inmates, you never documented any of the incidents and still entered her cell unaccompanied,” Sheriff Jim Hart wrote in a notice of del Real’s dismissal in March 2018.

Del Real was placed on electronic monitoring by probation on March 7.

Fourth case

It is the fourth case the Sentinel has reported since January that involves sustained findings of misconduct by officers employed by law enforcement agencies in Santa Cruz County.

Two officers were fired in Watsonville in 2014 and 2017 for having sex with unidentified civilians repeatedly while on duty: at least once in the front seat of a squad car and other times at private residences. In Santa Cruz, a former Police Officer’s Association president was accused of fondling four women in December 2017. The officer, who was fired, faces four charges of sexual battery and if convicted would have to register as a sex offender for the rest of his life. In Capitola, a former police sergeant lost his position and right to bear weapons after an investigation into the officer’s exchange of hundreds of off-duty text messages with a female member of Police Explorers, who are between the ages of 14 and 20.

Tuesday, Del Real answered the phone at his home. He said he did not want to comment on his case.

“No, thank you,” he told the Sentinel.

Real was sentenced to serve two months of supervision with an ankle monitor — he will not serve time in jail — despite an objection by the prosecution. Conviction of the felony would have forced him to relinquish firearms, but he reported that he had no guns, according to court documents.

‘Blind spots’

The assault was reported five months later — on Dec. 27, 2017. The J Unit is known to have “blind spots” and is considered less adequately lit than other units, a jail source told the Sentinel.

Hundreds of pages in the investigation report show how the officer had previous encounters with the inmate that should have been reported.

Sheriff Jim Hart hosted a press conference a year ago to address the case: He announced he fired del Real in March 2018. Del Real had met with Hart to discuss the case but, after mulling it with his attorney, declined to comment further.

“I have determined that you have engaged in behavior that is antithetical to Sheriff’s Office values and your role as correctional officer, and I am upholding the intended dismissal,” Hart wrote March 30, 2018, in a notice of dismissal.

The sheriff determined del Real violated multiple policies by:

Wrongful exercise of authority.

Criminal or dishonest conduct.

Unlawful or excessive conduct.

Violating criminal law.

On- or off-duty conduct that is unbecoming, contrary to good order, efficiency or morale.

Engaging in sexual acts or salacious conversations with inmates.

Lacking prompt reports of all attempts by inmates to initiate sexual acts or salacious conversations.

Corrections officers must report inmates’ salacious advances to the jail’s chief deputy. Deputy Chief Steve Carney led the jail when del Real violated policy and criminal law.

What happened?

Del Real entered the cell occupied by multiple women in custody.

A woman in the cell hid herself on her bunk during the encounter. She was interviewed by authorities investigating del Real. She heard “the two of you whispering and kissing sounds,” Hart wrote.

The exchange lasted four minutes. The inmate who was victimized ultimately reported that she was “fingered,” according to the investigation report.

The next day, an inmate called her boyfriend to report how an inmate was sexually involved with officers to get “whatever she wanted.” She also was told to keep quiet about the encounter and was given a soda, she told authorities. Another inmate, who also did not directly see the encounter, said the someone said an inmate had been “finger-banged” in her cell.

That inmate told investigators that the victim had told del Real to come into her cell while she removed her underwear.

Another account accuses del Real of instructing the woman to pull down her pants.

Threesome offer

Several inmates interviewed talked about rumors regarding del Real corresponding with former inmates via Facebook messenger.

“The purpose of these communications was to arrange a ‘threesome’ between you,” according to the investigation report. “They also described witnessing flirtatious behavior between you and (an inmate) while she was in custody.”

The behavior toward the victimized inmate persisted, Hart wrote.

In December 2017, del Real issued the victimized inmate a citation for “flipping off” a jail tour. Del Real said she asked to speak with him afterward and said she was upset about losing her commissary. She told him she needed the officer to take care of her, according to del Real’s statements summarized in investigation reports.

But del Real didn’t report the request by the inmate, Hart wrote.

Del Real’s account referred to two former inmates who contacted him via Facebook messenger.

“You admitted that you had messaged (one of the women) back, asking her ‘Why you want to get me in trouble?’” Hart wrote. “You did not document any of these inappropriate communications or report them to your supervisor as required by policy.”

Flasher

The inmate who was assaulted was known to “flash” del Real — or she would be naked — when he conducted cell safety checks, Hart wrote. “You also admitted receiving a ‘love letter’ from (the woman) in which she described wanting ‘your d— in my mouth’ and wanting to ‘do 69’ with you. You said that you disposed of the letter and did not document or report any of these contacts.”

A jail source said there have been female inmates who often remove their tops while in custody.

“One of the allegations against you was that you had brought Victoria’s Secret underwear into the jail and given it to (an inmate),” Hart wrote. There also were allegations that another corrections officer had brought the underwear.

“Despite learning this, you did not report it to a supervisor,” Hart wrote.