Clayton jail worker accused of having sex with inmate in freezer

A Clayton County jail worker is accused of having sex with an inmate inside a kitchen freezer, Channel 2 Action News reported.

Sakura Thomas, a 39-year-old food services contractor assigned to the jail’s kitchen, was arrested Wednesday after the alleged incident.

She is charged with one county of felony sexual assault of a person in custody, jail records show.

Police told Channel 2 there were more than 70 recordings of Thomas on the phone with the inmate arranging the sexual encounters, which allegedly occurred in a walk-in freezer inside the kitchen. It’s unclear how many alleged encounters occurred.

Thomas was denied bond during a first appearance hearing Thursday and remains held at the jail where she once worked.

Last week, a former Cherokee County deputy was arrested after allegedly sexually assaulting a female inmate at the jail.

ALSO: Ex-Cherokee County deputy arrested, accused of sexually assaulting female inmate

Richard Gilleland, 51, faces two counts of sexual assault against a person in custody, two counts of sexual battery and two counts of violation of oath of office in connection with the alleged assault.

He had been with the sheriff’s office five years.

Cherokee County Sheriff Frank Reynolds said he believes the encounter took place in a portion of the jail that does not have surveillance cameras.

"We work hard to build trust and confidence with our citizens, and in cases like this, we're going to police ourselves,” he said. “We take this very seriously, and this is something I'm not going to tolerate.”