Arizona security guard sentenced for sexually abusing inmate at reentry facility: USAO

PHOENIX - Officials with the United States Attorney's Office say a West Valley man will serve time behind bars for sexually assaulting a female inmate at a residential re-entry center in Phoenix.

What we know:

According to a statement that was released on April 18, 51-year-old Morris Gary Hibbitt of Avondale was sentenced to 13 months in prison, followed by 10 years of supervised release. Hibbitt will also have to register as a sex offender.

Hibbitt, per the statement, was sentenced on April 14.

The backstory:

According to prosecutors, the incident that led to Hibbitt's arrest and subsequent imprisonment happened on May 21, 2023.

"While on duty as the Security Supervisor at Behavioral Systems Southwest (BSS) in Phoenix, Hibbitt sexually assaulted a female inmate under his supervision," read a portion of the statement.

Officials described BSS as a "residential reentry center contracted by the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) to aid inmates in their transition back into the community while completing their prison sentences."

"Inmates at BSS are in official detention and remain under the custodial authority of the BOP," read a portion of the statement.

Per a statement released on July 1, 2024, Hibbitt pleaded guilty on June 17 that same year to sexual abuse.