Counselor accused of sex assaults

A 36-year-old former youth probation counselor for Santa Clara County was arrested Thursday on suspicion of having sex with two inmates at a boys’ ranch in Morgan Hill.

Tricia Caparra will be charged with 15 felonies counts in connection with the assaults last year on the two teenagers — one of them a minor — at William F. James Boys Ranch, according to a statement from the probation department. Chief probation officer Laura Garnette said she was “appalled to learn of this employee’s alleged abuse of a minor in our care.”

According to the probation department, Caparra was placed on leave last year after allegations of the assault were reported. She resigned in July.

“This employee violated the trust placed in our department. This will not be tolerated,” Garnette said. “Our probation staff have worked compassionately to support both of these youth throughout this ordeal.”

The charges include having sex with a consenting adult inmate or ward, having unlawful sex with a minor and oral copulation with a minor. In addition, she will be charged with illegally obtaining computer data, according to a statement from the Santa Clara County district attorney’s office.

Caparra, a nine-year veteran with Santa Clara County who earned $101,000 last year as a probation counselor, will be arraigned on the charges Friday afternoon in San Jose, the district attorney’s office said.

The probation department said it is taking steps to prevent similar sexual assaults, but did not say what they were.

The James ranch has 96 beds and offers work programs, job training and counseling. Steve Rubenstein is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: srubenstein @sfchronicle.com Twitter: @SteveRubeSF