Corrections Officer from Schuylkill County Charged with Sexual Assault of Inmate

A corrections officer at a state prison in Schuylkill County has been charged Monday with sexual assault against an inmate.

William Robert Wagner, 50, of Hegins Township, was arraigned Monday morning before Magisterial District Judge Edward Tarantelli and charged with institutional sexual assault, indecent assault, criminal coercion, official oppression, obstruction, and indecent exposure. The sexual assault charge is the only felony. All other charges are graded as misdemeanors.

At his arraignment on Monday, Wagner answered all questions with one- or two-word answers, mostly about his personal identifying information.

Wagner confirmed that he’s been a corrections officer at SCI-Frackville for 20 years and he’s been suspended from his job pending an investigation into the allegations against him.

Officials with the state Dept. of Corrections told Tarantelli Monday that they did not consider Wagner to be a flight risk and that he willingly appeared at his arraignment and believe he will appear at all future court proceedings in this case. They did not oppose Wagner being released on $50,000 unsecured bail.

A preliminary hearing is currently scheduled for Oct. 22 but likely will be continued.

Investigation Details

According to an affidavit filed by the Dept. of Corrections, its Bureau of Investigations and Intelligence was contacted by SCI-Frackville’s security office on Sept. 12 regarding an alleged sexual assault by a corrections officer against an inmate.

The inmate told prison staff that Wagner threatened action against him if he did not perform oral sex on him in a utility closet. Wagner allegedly had been suggesting that the inmate perform this sex act on him several times in the past. However, when the inmate refused, Wagner threatened to send him to the Restrictive Housing Unit at SCI-Frackville, saying he would claim that the inmate threatened him.

On the morning of Sept. 12, the inmate said he reported to the “Pill Line” to receive medications between 6:45 and 7 a.m. The inmate said he knew that Wagner was already in the utility closet because the door was propped open.

When the inmate went to the closet, Wagner was allegedly hiding behind the door and closed it when he went inside. Once the door closed, Wagner allegedly unzipped his pants and commanded the inmate to perform oral sex on him.

After about 2-3 minutes, the inmate told investigators, Wagner expelled his fluids. The inmate said he spit that fluid onto his shirt.

Wagner then reportedly instructed the inmate to give him the shirt that contained his fluids but the inmate actually kept the shirt and surrendered a different shirt to Wagner, who was going to dispose of it in a special trash bin at the prison.

The inmate told investigators that he also swabbed his own mouth with cotton from his own hygiene items and collected those as potential evidence. The shirt and swabs were then collected by investigators.

When Wagner was confronted by investigators about the allegations against him, he reportedly said he was inside the utility closet conducting an inventory when the inmate joined him there. Investigators say the told Wagner of the allegations and he responded that he “knew something like this was going to happen.”

Wagner also reportedly denied that stains on the inmate’s shirt would contain his DNA.

The inmate was taken to Reading Hospital for a sexual assault examination and more swabs were reportedly taken.

Investigators say the results of DNA tests show that fluids on the inmate’s shirt was likely Wagner’s, with only a 1:7 trillion chance it wasn’t his.

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