Federal authorities handed down sentencing Thursday for a former guard at a Youngstown private prison for her involvement in the sex abuse and bribery scheme she ran within the prison.

Barbara Davis, 47, was sentenced to five months in prison and five months of home confinement by a federal judge Thursday.

Davis, a former Northeast Ohio Correctional Center (NEOCC) correctional officer, pleaded guilty in January of 2021 to sexual abuse of a ward, accepting bribes and providing a cell phone and tobacco to an inmate.

"Exploiting a position of trust by sexually abusing an inmate and receiving bribe payoffs for smuggling contraband into a correction center threatens to undermine the public's trust in our criminal justice system," said Acting U.S. Attorney Bridget M. Brennan. "Let this matter be a reminder to the public that anyone who seeks to harm and exploit inmates or detainees can and will be held accountable."

According to court documents, from on or about November 13, 2017, to November 7, 2018, Davis engaged in sexual conduct with an inmate at the NEOCC.

During this same time, Davis smuggled contraband, specifically a cell phone and tobacco, to the inmate at the NEOCC.

In return, Davis received payments made from other parties through a mobile payment application.