A Nassau County jail guard was arrested Wednesday for sexually abusing at least three female inmates over the past two years, Nassau prosecutors said.
Nassau County Corrections Officer Mark Barber, 47, of Levittown, was arraigned at First District Court in Hempstead. He was charged with three counts of rape, three counts of forcible touching, six counts of promoting prison contraband, 10 counts of sexual abuse and 35 counts of official misconduct. He was also charged with receiving a reward for official misconduct.
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The arrest follows a joint investigation with the Nassau County Correctional Center after women told investigators that Barber used his position as a grievance officer for the female inmate population at the jail to extort sexual favors from the women between August 2007 and March 2009, prosecutors said.
Barber would give the women cigarettes and private phone calls or various levels of sexual activity with certain inmates, prosecutors said. As a grievance officer—tasked with evaluating complaints concerning problems in the jail—he crossed the line.
“It was in the course of these duties as a grievance officer that he had more contact a corrections officer normally would because he was required to interview them,” Nassau County District Attorney Kathleen Rice said. ”And it was at the times that he would befriend them, become overly friendly with them, remind them of the position of power that he was in and how he could make their life very difficult if they did not do what he wanted them to do.”
His attorney, Fred Annibale, was not immediately available for comment.
“For a jail staff member to use his leverage to sexually abuse inmates is despicable,” Rice said, noting that there is a possibility that more women may come forward with similar stories. She added that some of the women were former prostitutes or had mental health issues, but cautioned that just their stories were found to be credible through the various evidence that was uncovered.
A judge set bail for Barber at $25,000. He faces up to 16 years in prison if convicted. He is due back in court on Jan. 4.
With Mike Powers
