Vicki Greenhalgh had a romantic relationship with St Helier’s inmate Robert Parry in Muswellbrook

A covert operation has uncovered a secret affair between a NSW Corrective Services Officer and a former inmate.

Ms Greenhalgh arrested at her Muswellbrook home over a romantic relationship with a former inmate at a correctional centre in the Hunter region. Credit: NSW Police

A covert operation has uncovered an inappropriate relationship between a NSW Corrective Services officer and a former inmate, the pair caught out by a secret rendezvous at a hotel in the Hunter region.

52-year-old Vicki Greenhalgh — who was a service and programs officer — was recently sentenced to a 12 month community corrections order (CCO) after she struck up a romantic relationship with 56-year-old inmate Robert Parry at St Heliers Corrective Centre in Muswellbrook.

Court documents revealed the relationship was discovered in June last year by a colleague of Ms Greenhalgh’s, when Mr Parry’s profile appeared in the ‘people you may know’ section on Facebook, after he was released from jail.

Vicki Greenhalgh - a corrective services officer - was caught out by a rendezvous at a Newcastle Hotel. Credit: Facebook

Further investigations discovered Mr Parry was dating a woman known as ‘Vicki Turner’, but in fact, it turned out to be Ms Greenhalgh.

After the Corrective Services Investigation Unit (CSIU) learned Mr Parry was set to spend a night with his girlfriend at the Rydges Hotel in Newcastle City later that month, they contacted the hotel to confirm a booking made under the 52-year-old.

Investigators also got hold of CCTV footage, which revealed the couple had also arrived together.

Two months later, CSIU arrested Ms Greenhalgh at her Muswellbrook home, but she initially denied having any contact with Mr Parry after his release.

Court documents stated that when she was shown photographs of her at Rydges with Mr Parry, she said she was just there for medical treatment - as she was being treated for Leukaemia — and had “bumped into him there and he offered to carry my bags”.

A corrective services officer has been charged over an alleged romantic relationship with a former inmate at a correctional centre in the Hunter region. Credit: NSW Police

Ms Greenhalgh later changed her story to say she was at the hotel to cover for Mr Parry as he was seeing a prostitute.

But police maintained she had planned to stay at the hotel with Mr Parry and engage in sexual activity and was well aware he was on parole, according to court documents.

She later admitted she knew it was wrong to have contact with a person on parole but did not know it was an offence.

Ms Greenhalgh pleaded guilty to engaging in sexual conduct compromising a sentence, while a charge of engaging in a relationship with an inmate causing safety risk, was eventually withdrawn.

Ms Greenhalgh received glowing reports from former workmates who said she was “passionate” about inmate rehabilitation.

A reference describing her as a “reliable” worker.

“Vicki is remorseful for her lapse in judgment and she is a trustworthy and a decent person. I believe there was no deceit intended,” it stated.

Ms Greenhalgh’s employment is currently still suspended.