A former employee of the Bismarck Transition Center has been charged with sexual abuse of a ward. Holly Engesser, 33, was charged Friday with the Class C felony. She has received a summons to make an initial court appearance in May.

Burleigh County Assistant State's Attorney Cynthia Feland said Engesser has been accused of engaging in sexual activity with an inmate of the Bismarck Transition Center while she was employed there.

A complaint signed by North Dakota Bureau of Criminal Investigation Agent Michael Quinn alleges that the sexual activity occurred between Dec. 28, 2006, and Jan. 14.

"The defendant willfully engaged in a sexual act with another person who was in official custody or detained in a hospital, prison, or other institution, and the defendant had supervisory or disciplinary authority over the other person," Quinn wrote in the complaint.

Feland said she received an initial report on the matter from the Bismarck Transition Center, which is not an agency with authority to investigate such matters. BCI took the investigation over, and the charge was filed after Feland reviewed the agency's report, she said.

Marcie Conmy-Fisher, director of the Transition Center, said Engesser worked at the transition center from August 2002 until January 2007, when she resigned.

The Bismarck Transition Center, a 155-bed facility at 2001 Lee Ave., works to ease selected male prisoners back into the community.