Female prison staff worker in court charged with sexually assaulting MALE prisoners at Kirkham jail

Sharon Mawdsley, of St Lukes Road, Blackpool, appeared at Preston Magistrates Court on Thursday (September 8).

The 45-year-old faces seven charges, one for misconduct in a public office and six for sexual assaulting men.

All seven charges relate to her time working as a prison librarian at Kirkham.

For charges one and two, Mawdsley is accused of intentionally touching a man aged 16 or over, in a sexual manner, when he did not consent, between December 1 2017 and December 31 2017 in Preston, contrary to section 3 of the Sexual Offences Act 2003.

Charges four, five, six and seven, involve the same offence, also in Preston, but two were between January 1 and July 5 2018, and two between June 1 and June 30 2018.

Mawdsley is also accused of wilfully misconducting herself between December 1 2017 and July 5 2018 while acting as a public officer.

It is alleged that while acting as a librarian at HMP Kirkham, she wilfully and without reasonable excuse or justification, misconducted herself in a way which amounted to an abuse of the public trust by sexually assaulting a number of male serving prisoners, contrary to Common Law.

She arrived at Preston Magistrates Court with a male, wearing a dark suit and sunglasses.

On entering the dock, Mawdsley, only spoke to confirm her name and address.

The district judge sent the case to Crown Court, without asking Mawdsley to enter a plea.

She was granted unconditional bail until October 11, when she must appear at Preston Crown Court.