Jail Guard Accused of Sexually Assaulting Female Inmates

A northeastern Pennsylvania county jail guard suspended from his job more than two years ago has been charged with sexually assaulting five female inmates at the lockup since 2002.

Defense attorney Joe DeAndrea says his client, 49-year-old Joe Black, of Dickerson city, "didn't do it. It's pretty simple, he just didn't do it."

But on Friday, Black was arraigned on charges including involuntary deviate sexual intercourse and institutional sexual assault based on a report returned last month by a Lackawanna County grand jury.

The grand jury found that Black frequently volunteered to oversee female inmates _ a job typically done by female guards. The investigation began when a former Lackawanna inmate told investigators she had been sexually assaulted by Black, but only after she had been moved to a federal prison.

Also on NBC10.com

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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