VENTURA, Calif. (AP) — A judge has ruled a former deputy in Southern California is guilty of sexual misconduct with an inmate after the woman reported the encounter to jail staff in 2019.

The Ventura Country Star reports that Ventura County Superior Court Judge Gilbert Romero said 49-year-old Leonard Lopez pleaded no contest to two misdemeanor charges. Lopez was assigned to the special housing unit of the county jail where the woman, who was not identified, was recovering from a medical issue.

Lopez initially denied the allegations. However, Lopez’s attorney entered no contest pleas on his behalf on Wednesday. His attorney did not return requests for comment.