Former Cooper County Jail employee pleads guilty to sexual misconduct, is sentenced to probation

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A former employee of the Cooper County Jail was sentenced to probation on Friday after he pleaded guilty to sexual misconduct.

John Dillehay, 50, pleaded guilty to sexual conduct in the course of public duty. He was accused of having sex with an inmate in 2024.

He was sentenced to probation for four years along with a five-year suspended sentence. He was also given credit for time served. He previously faced a misdemeanor charge in addition to the felony he pleaded guilty to.

He’s accused of having sexual misconduct with an inmate on Aug. 4, 2024. He is also charged in Cooper County with permitting escape and concealing a felony on the same day the sexual misconduct charges allegedly occurred, court filings indicate.