A DeKalb County detention officer was arrested Thursday on accusations that he sexually assaulted an inmate, authorities said.

Zel Mitchell, 42, was charged with sexual assault against a person in custody, violation of oath and public indecency.

According to DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office spokesman Sgt. Adrion Bell, Mitchell allegedly performed sexual acts – consensually – with another male inmate in exchange for food and other contraband.

Another inmate discovered the incident, Bell said.

Mitchell had worked at the jail for nearly two years, according to state records.

He was fired and is being held at the DeKalb County Jail on $1,000 bond.

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Ceudy Gutierrez reads a book to her 2-year-old son, Matias, at their home in Buford, GA, on Tuesday, Nov. 18, 2025. Ceudy Gutierrez is struggling to make ends meet for herself and her three young kids following her husband’s ICE arrest earlier this fall. (Miguel Martinez/ AJC)

Credit: Miguel Martinez-Jimenez