The long-running sexual abuse scandal at the now-shuttered Federal Correctional Institution (FCI) in Dublin, California, has reached another grim milestone. Two former correctional officers-Jeffrey Wilson, 34, and Lawrence Gacad, 33-have pleaded guilty to sexually abusing female inmates, making them the eighth and ninth employees convicted in connection with the prison’s pervasive culture of predation.

The US Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of California announced the guilty pleas on Thursday, underscoring what officials have called a “zero tolerance” policy for sexual misconduct by federal prison staff. But for many advocates and former inmates, the convictions serve as yet another reminder of a broken system that allowed abuse to flourish for years behind closed doors.

Wilson, who worked at FCI Dublin from July 2021 to September 2022 as a correctional officer and health technician/paramedic, admitted in his plea agreement to engaging in repeated sexual acts with a female inmate. According to prosecutors, the abuse began after Wilson started interacting with the woman when she was prescribed medication for seizures.

Wilson allegedly encouraged the victim to transfer from the main prison facility to FCI Dublin Camp, where fewer staff and inmates would witness their interactions. Prosecutors say he provided the victim with a prepaid card and a cellphone-both considered contraband-which she used to send him explicit photos.

When questioned by federal investigators, Wilson falsely denied ever having sexual contact with the victim or giving her prohibited items. These false statements formed part of the charges against him. He ultimately pleaded guilty to sexual........

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