State police have charged a New London man with sexually assaulting a 21-year-old woman in custody at the Niantic women's prison while he was working as a correction officer.

Wesley Applegate, 38, of 100 Ocean Ave., was arrested on a warrant Monday afternoon in Wethersfield and charged with second-degree sexual assault. 

State police and the Department of Correction began investigating Applegate in November after an inmate at the Janet S. York Correctional Institution reported having seen Applegate having sex with another inmate, according to an arrest warrant.

The woman told investigators that on Nov. 15 2020, she was cooking macaroni and cheese in the library near her unit at York when she walked over to a room referred to as the officer's mess hall to get a Styrofoam tray. When she went into the room, she said she saw Applegate having sex with another inmate, a 21-year-old woman who was not named in the warrant.

She reported the incident because she feared her fellow inmate was being raped, according to the warrant.

The alleged victim, interviewed by investigators from state police and the Department of Correction, at first denied having sex with Applegate.  

She later said that she did have sex with Applegate after he let her into the room to clean, which was one of her assigned duties, but that she "didn't feel forced," according to the warrant. She told investigators this was the first time they had physical contact.

In a subsequent interview, the alleged victim told investigators that for about a year, she and Applegate kissed every time he was working, and that they had sexual contact five or six times in the officer's mess hall prior to having sex on Nov. 15.

Applegate was transferred to Corrigan-Radgowski Correctional Center in December. He has been employed as a correction officer with the Department of Correction since 2008, according to the warrant.

On Feb. 8, state troopers met with Applegate at the state police Troop E barracks. Applegate told investigators he was aware of allegations against him but denied having sex with an inmate, according to the warrant.

Investigators asked Applegate to provide a DNA sample, and he declined.

On March 8, New London Superior Court Judge Hillary B. Strackbein signed a search warrant for a DNA sample from Applegate. Investigators went to Corrigan to serve the warrant and were told that Applegate had a shift that night before a scheduled two-week vacation. He did not show up to his shift that night, according to the warrant.

According to the Department of Correction, Applegate was placed on administrative leave beginning March 10.

A warrant for Applegate's arrest was issued Monday. He was arrested the same day and taken to State Police Troop H barracks in Hartford.

Applegate was being held on a $50,000 bond. He is scheduled to appear in court in New London Superior Court on Thursday.

t.hartz@theday.com