A former inmate of the juvenile detention center in Casper pleaded no contest Tuesday to aiding and abetting the sexual assault of another inmate.

The plea, by Harlan Buddy Taylor, comes roughly five months after state and local investigators looked into allegations of sexual assaults at the Regional Juvenile Detention Center.

Prosecutors say Taylor,18, helped grab and hold a 15-year-old cellmate during a March sexual assault inside a dormitory-style cell at the center.

Taylor was initially charged with aiding and abetting first-degree sexual assault and conspiracy. In exchange for his no contest plea, prosecutors agreed to drop the conspiracy charge and reduce the sexual-assault charge.

Assistant Natrona County District Attorney Michael Schafer said prosecutors also agreed to seek no more than five years in prison for Taylor. The second-degree sexual assault conviction could have carried a maximum sentence of 20 years.

A sentencing hearing for Taylor hasn't been scheduled.

During a short hearing in Natrona County District Court, Taylor spoke only to answer procedural questions from Judge Thomas Sullins. The teenager wore a blue jail uniform and shackles on his arms and legs.

Taylor is no longer an inmate at the juvenile detention center. He and Carlos Arellano, another former inmate charged in connection with the case, were moved to the Natrona County Detention Center, which houses adults.

Arellano, 17, is charged with sexually assaulting the 15-year-old inmate while Taylor held the younger boy. Arellano also faces allegations that he sexually assaulted a 16-year-old boy at the center.

He's pleaded not guilty to all charges and is currently set for trial later this month.

The center houses up to 40 juvenile offenders, ages 12 to 17, in the Hall of Justice in downtown Casper. At the time of the incidents, it was being operated by Cheyenne-based Frontier Correctional Systems.

In May, a state investigation found that an inmate was sexually assaulted at the juvenile detention center and that staff and supervisors did not report it to the facility's administrator or the Wyoming Department of Family Services.

State and local officials have not confirmed that their investigations focused on the same allegations. Since the allegations surfaced, Cornerstone Programs Corp. has taken over operations from Frontier.

Reach crime reporter Joshua Wolfson at (307) 266-0582 or at josh.wolfson@trib.com.

News Tracker

Last we knew: Two former inmates of the juvenile detention center in Casper pleaded not guilty to sexual assault charges.

The latest: One of the inmates, Harlan Buddy Taylor, pleaded no contest Tuesday to aiding and abetting second-degree sexual assault.

What's next: A sentencing date will be set later for Taylor.