Trial against ex-jail officer accused of sex with inmate postponed

Franco Villella

Franco Villella

A trial against a former Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office corrections officer facing two sexual misconduct charges against a jail inmate was postponed on Monday.

Franco Villella, 23, charged with two felony counts of sexual battery in Montgomery County Common Pleas Court, requested the trial date be continued after changing attorneys. He is due back in court April 16 for a pretrial hearing and the new trial date is set for May 4.

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He is charged in connection to allegations that he led a woman into a seldom-used jail bathroom stall and forced her to engage in sexual conduct with him.

“The defendant took the victim, who was an inmate being held in the jail, down a hallway to a restroom and forced her to submit to sexual conduct,” the prosecutors said in a press release when he was first charged in 2018.

In court documents, prosecutors have gone into detail about the case they have against Villella.

“(Villella) was interviewed following the disclosure of the sexual conduct by the victim and admits to engaging in the activity in a recorded interview,” Montgomery County assistant prosecutor Kelly Madzey wrote. “While Defendant correctly states he does not have a criminal history, the charges in this case reveal a brazen abuse of power and authority.”

Montgomery County Prosecutor Mat Heck Jr. said at the time Villella was indicted that inmates have the right to be safe while incarcerated at the jail.

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If convicted as charged, Villella faces up to five years in prison and lifetime sex offender registration.

Also, the woman has since sued Montgomery County as well. That lawsuit, which also is in Montgomery County Common Pleas Court, is due back in court May 20 for a final pretrial hearing.

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