Correction officer Matthew Gillette, who is accused of having a sexual relationship with a female inmate at the Janet S. York Correctional Institution in September 2014, pleaded not guilty Monday when he made his first appearance in the New London court where major crimes are heard.

Gillette, 43, of Groton, is one of three correction officers identified by a 28-year-old inmate who reported to correction officials in November 2014 that she had sexual contact with the officers in the basement and laundry room of the Davis building, which is a housing unit on the low security side of the Niantic women's prison. The three correction officers were reassigned to different facilities during a state police investigation. The inmate, who has since been released on parole, was placed in segregation.

According to an arrest warrant affidavit in Gillette's court file, the alleged victim told state police detectives in a videotaped interview that she met Gillette while she was housed in segregation unit and working as a cleaner. She said she thought he was "cute" and told him she had been photographed for a tattoo magazine and the photograph was available on line. Gillette told her later that he had looked up the photograph. In September 2014, when the woman was assigned to the Davis building, where prisoners undergo an intensive drug rehabilitation program, she said he approached her in the laundry room and initiated sexual contact. The woman reported he also initiated sexual contact a day later in the basement, which is locked and off-limits to inmates. She said she feared Gillette had impregnated her and showed early signs of pregnancy. A pregnancy test was negative, according to the affidavit.

The woman provided detectives with intimate details of the correction officer's anatomy. She told detectives she did not want to come forward with the information because she feared she would get into trouble.

"When she began these sexual acts with the correctional officers she believed it was consensual," according to the affidavit. "However, she would think to herself that if she no longer continued with the sex acts that these correctional officers have physical control over her in the facility and there may be repercussions."

State law prohibits correction officers from engaging in sexual relations with inmates and a Department of Correction directive on "undue familiarity" also prohibits employees from having sexual contact, sharing suggestive letters or photographs and being involved in an inmate’s private life outside of one's assigned professional duties.

The detectives interviewed other correctional staff and inmates during the investigation. One correction officer who worked with Gillette in the Davis building told the investigators that Gillette had made comments about the inmate's body and said he wanted to have sex with her. Two inmates reported that the alleged victim told them about the sexual encounters with Gillette.

Gillette denied the allegations during an interview at Troop E, according to the warrant.

Correction officer Jeff Bromley, 46, was arrested in February as part of the same investigation and has been making regular court appearances. The case of a third correction officer remains under investigation.

Gillette, who is represented by attorney Raymond T. Trebisacci, is due back in court on June 2. During his court appearance, Judge Hillary B. Strackbein reminded him there is a protective order in place prohibiting him from having contact with the alleged victim.

k.florin@theday.com

Twitter: @KFLORIN