Prison secretary accused of having sex with inmate

By Gan Matthews, NEWS 9

LEXINGTON, Okla. -- A prison secretary is facing a rape charge after allegedly having a sexual relationship with an inmate, prosecutors said.

Joi Illene Starr, 27, is accused of having a consensual relationship with Danny Turner, 34. Turner is serving a life sentence for murder at the Joseph Harp Correctional Center in Lexington.

"Anyone that works for an agency that has authority over or custody of an individual, if they have even a consensual encounter it is still a crime and still considered rape in the first-degree," Cleveland County District Attorney Greg Mashburn said.

Under Oklahoma law, first-degree rape is punishable by a sentence from five years to life.

Department of Corrections officials said they don't know how the two became involved.

Starr resigned from her job in August.