Ex-Iowa jailer accused of having sex with inmate in prison utility closet, rec yard

A former Iowa jailer allegedly had sex with an inmate multiple times in the prison — including inside of a utility closet and in the rec-yard during a months-long affair.

Kayla Mae Bergom, 27, will stand trial on Aug. 12 for having sex with the unnamed 29-year-old inmate on multiple occasions in 2020 and 2021 at various locations at the Tama County facility, according to Cedar Rapids newspaper The Gazette.

Bergom, of Belle Plaine, was charged with three counts of misdemeanor counts of sexual misconduct in May following an investigation by the Iowa Divison of Criminal Investigation. She pleaded not guilty.

According to court documents obtained by the paper, Bergom and the inmate engaged in sexual activity in a utility closet in October 2020. Two other sexual encounters took place in the recreation yard — once in September 2020 and again in April 2021.

Bergom was arrested by the Tama County Sheriff’s Office on April 20, according to an arrest report from the Tama-Toledo News Chronicle. She was released the same day on pretrial release.

She resigned after working at the prison for three years, Tama County Sheriff Dennis Kucera said.

If convicted, she faces up to six years in prison, The Gazette reported.