Prosecutors drop charges in juvenile inmate sex abuse case

A former Idaho juvenile corrections nurse accused of having sex with inmates has had all charges against her dropped.

The Idaho Statesman reports that all four felony charges against Valerie Lieteau were dismissed Thursday after she successfully completed a lie-detector test. Lieteau had been scheduled to go to trial next week for sexual battery of a child and sexual contact with an inmate.

Prosecutors had requested polygraph testing due to concerns about the lack of physical evidence in the case. Polygraph results are not admissible in court, but they are commonly used to help build or resolve cases.

Prosecutors say Lieteau had agreed to plead guilty if she failed the polygraph tests.

Lieteau’s attorney, Jon Cox, says justice has been served and that Lieteau maintained her innocence from the beginning.

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Information from: Idaho Statesman, http://www.idahostatesman.com