Bucks County Corrections Officer Accused of Sexually Harassing Inmates

After a lengthy investigation, a Bucks County corrections officer has been arrested and charged with official oppression and harassment.

According to the investigation, 28-year-old Joseph Mullen of Feasterville was involved in a series of events, most of which were sexual in nature, with inmates at the Bucks County Correctional Facility during the summer months of 2013.

Bucks County District Attorney David Heckler announced Mullen’s arrest Wednesday. “This type of conduct will not be tolerated and will be prosecuted to the fullest extent when we discover it,” Heckler said.

County spokesman Chris Edwards said Mullen had worked for the county since November 8, 2010. Any further information could not be released due to the pending criminal proceedings, Edwards said.

A source in Doylestown confirmed to LevittownNow.com that Mullen was no longer actively working as a corrections officer and was believed to be suspended.

A Bucks County Grand Jury headed up the investigation, which took several months to conduct. Throughout it’s grand jury, 13 inmates testified as well as two officers of the facility, which  is located in Doylestown Township and houses prisoners from through the county.

According to the grand jury investigation, Mullen often promised to lessen punishments stipulated against inmates if they showed him their penis, played ‘patty-cake’ or hugged one another. According to one inmate, Mullen would constantly make comments of a sexual nature and ask inmates about homosexual situations.

The report stated inmates did not report the incidents for fear of embarrassment or retaliation by Mullen, or not being believed by other officers of the correctional facility.

Inmates testified that Mullen often asked inmates if they would “take it up the a** or suck a d**k for a million dollars,” in addition to making comments about the size of their penis when they went to the bathroom or took a shower.

If inmates didn’t do what Mullen asked of them he would often submit them to a strip search, for which a sergeant was not present for, or search their cell, according to inmate testimony. The one inmate who was subject to the strip searches, a Bristol resident, told the grand jury he did not report the alleged improper actions by Mullen because he was afraid there would repercussions.

One inmate wrote a letter to his sister that spoke of being “repeatedly sexually harassed” by Mullen, court papers say. The inmate wrote to his sister that he would not report the incidents because he felt they were embarrassing.

According to the report, the grand jury determined “the only reason for Mullen to engage in this conduct was to harass, demean and humiliate the inmates involved.”

One of Mullen’s colleagues testified she wanted a new partner because of Mullen’s actions, including talking to inmates about “sexual topics” while they were going to the bathroom.

Mullen was arraigned before District Judge Mark Douple and set free on $75,000 unsecured bail. Douple also added a condition that prevents Mullen from contacting any victims or witnesses involved in the case.

LevittownNow.com Publisher/Editor Tom Sofield contributed to this report.

Editor’s Note: All individuals arrested or charged with a crime are presumed innocent until proven guilty. The story was compiled using information from police and public court documents.