Female LA County Corrections officer, 51, is arrested for rape of juvenile boy inmate: Authorities discovered a cell phone containing lewd images as well as a container full of prescription pills in her bag

A Los Angeles County probation officer was arrested last week over accusations of having a sexual relationship with a male juvenile inmate.

Rafaela Martinez, 51, was arrested March 7 and charged with having sex with an inmate, arranging a meeting with a minor for lewd purposes, bringing contraband into a jail and unauthorized possession of a wireless communication device.

She was not named in a statement from the department, but an anonymous law enforcement source confirmed her identity to the LA Times.

Booking records reviewed by DailyMail.com show that Martinez was arrested for a felony and is being held in the Century Regional Detention Facility in Lynwood.

Investigators learned of 'a sexual relationship involving an on-duty female probation officer with a male youth detainee' after finding a contraband cellphone at the Dorothy Kirby Center in Commerce.

L.A. County probation officer Rafaela Martinez, 51, was arrested March 7 in connection to her sexual relationship with a juvenile male inmate being held at the Dorothy Kirby Center

Investigators learned of the relationship after recovering a contraband cell phone containing sexually charged communications between Martinez and the inmate

'Information supported by a warrant led investigators to communications between the detained youth and Probation Officer,' the department said.

'Some of these communications appeared to have occurred while the employee was at work and there were photos that are sexual in nature.'

When investigators confronted Martinez, she 'gave statements that corroborated information which confirmed that the observed communications were with her,' the statement read.

A cell phone and 'prescription pill container with different types of pills in varying quantities' were found on Martinez and inside her personal bag.

The 51-year-old was arrested the same day the investigation began.

This marks the first arrest by the the probation department’s Juvenile Safety and Welfare Task Force, which was created in February to crack down on drugs and other contraband.

The task force will forward the case to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office once the investigation concludes.

In a statement, County Supervisor Hilda Solis condemned the 'disturbing pattern of staff, who are in roles to protect, preying on those that need guidance and protection.'

L.A. County Supervisor Hilda Solis called out a 'disturbing pattern' of staff preying on 'those that need guidance and protection' in a statement

Martinez is being held in the Century Regional Detention Facility in Lynwood. She faces additional charges of bringing contraband into a jail and unauthorized possession of a wireless communication device

'Additionally, it was disappointing that this staff was also found bringing pills into our facilities when many of our youth have suffered from overdoses and substance use dependencies,' Solis said in a statement.

She called on the department to 'thoroughly investigate' the incident and 'discipline all, including staff, who continue to harm our youth.' 

The county already faces a slew of lawsuits from former detainees alleging sexual abuse as far back as 1972.

Earlier this year, a juvenile claimed a female officer he'd met in custody made romantic advances on him following his release in 2023, the LA Times reported.

Sources told the publication that the allegations had been forwarded to the California Department of Justice.

In a 2023 budget, Los Angeles County CEO Fesia Davenport estimated the county could pay out anywhere between $1.6 billion to $3 billion for more than 3,000 claims of childhood sexual assault.

Solis lauded the probation department for taking 'swift action' against Martinez.

However, she continued, 'there needs to be a clear message of zero tolerance policy on any forms of abuse and swift consequences that follow to eradicate the culture that enables these crimes to occur.'