HAMTRAMCK (WWJ) A Farmington Hills woman was found guilty on charges connected to the sexual assault of two teens at a juvenile detention center in Hamtramck.
The Wayne County Prosecutor's Office said, on Tuesday, June 17, a jury convicted Svetlana Kuryanova, 33, on both counts of Second-Degree Criminal Sexual Conduct (Detained Juvenile).
Prosecutors allege that Kuryanova was working as a juvenile detention specialist; when she sexually assaulted two teen boys, 16 and 17, who were inmates at the Wayne County Juvenile Detention Center on April 8.
In a statement; the county said Juvenile Detention Facility staff and the leadership noticed "suspicious activity involving a female staffer and two male residents" on a continuous live video monitor feed. She was immediately let go from her employment, according to the county.
"This single bad actor is not representative of the values of Wayne County and the hardworking men and women of the Juvenile Detention Facility," the county said in the statement.
WWJ had previously reported other problems at the center, including overcrowding; where the 80-bed facility was allegedly housing over 150 detainees, nearly double its capacity, as of March 2023. The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) also launched an investigation into the sexual assault of a 12-year-old boy who was living there.
Kuryanova faces up to 15 years in prison. Her sentencing is slated for Wednesday, July 2nd.
Wayne County released the following statement amid the allegations:
“Wayne County will not tolerate the intentional exploitation of our youth. We will continue to prosecute any staff who compromises the safety and preys on the vulnerability of our young people and staff. We remain committed to upholding the integrity of public service.
On April 8, Juvenile Detention Facility staff, that leadership put in place to continuously monitor live video feed of the housing units within the JDF, alerted Facility Supervisors of suspicious activity involving a female staffer and two male residents. The employee was immediately separated from employment with Wayne County. The ensuing investigation resulted in the charges of criminal sexual conduct against the staffer.
This single bad actor is not representative of the values of Wayne County and the hardworking men and women of the Juvenile Detention Facility. Furthermore, she intentionally circumvented policies, procedures, and security measures that have been put into place to ensure the safety and security of the youth in our care.
Wayne County is committed to ensuring that all bad actors are prosecuted to the full extent of the law.”