Ex-Missouri parole officer had sex with man she was supervising, helped him avoid arrest
A former Kansas City-area parole officer has pleaded guilty to a felony, admitting she provided information to a man she was having a sexual relationship with that allowed him to remain out of custody.
Valerie R. Jacobs, 35, the ex-parole officer, entered a guilty plea Tuesday in the Western District of Missouri to a single count of using her credit card to further illegal activity.
Matt O’Connor, an attorney for Jacobs, told The Star that she is a single mother who made poor choices after becoming emotionally involved with a man she was supervising, saying her feelings “clouded her judgment.” He noted Jacobs had accepted responsibility for the offense, and said she lost her job because of it.
“She’s a decent person who has led a very law-abiding life otherwise,” O’Connor said.
Jacobs began working as a parole officer for the Missouri Department of Corrections in October 2018. Under Missouri law, it is illegal for a parole officer to have a sexual relationship with an offender. State law also bars public servants from receiving anything that can be considered a bribe that sways decisions or judgment.
According to the federal plea agreement, Jacobs admitted to having a sexual relationship with an individual identified in the court record as A.R. He was assigned to her case management file around December of 2018, and they began an intimate relationship in July 2019 after she met him at his parent’s farm.
On August 28, 2019, Jacobs paid for a hotel room at the American Inn in North Kansas City where she met the man again. At the time, there was an active warrant for his arrest because he had failed to appear at a court date.
State investigators contacted Jacobs in regard to her relationship with A.R. At the time, court records state, she told them that she was hoping to talk him into turning himself in for the warrant. But she acknowledged that instead of telling law enforcement where he was as she was required, she allowed him to leave the hotel and remain out of custody.
Court records do not disclose the name of the criminal offender or the underlying criminal offense that required him to be on parole or probation in the first place. A spokeswoman for the corrections department declined to comment Wednesday.
Under federal sentencing guidelines, Jacobs faces a maximum term of 5 years in prison. Her lawyer said they are aiming for a lighter punishment, considering Jacobs’ acceptance of responsibility for the crime, among other factors.
Jacobs has been allowed to remain free on bond as she awaits sentencing.
The Star’s Luke Nozicka contributed to this report.
This story was originally published March 9, 2022 at 3:32 PM.
