DOC records sought in prison counselor's case of alleged sexual assault of inmate
Somerset County Judge Scott Bittner ordered the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections to release any written or recorded confirmation or documentation that dealt with an inmate accuser's possible inappropriate sexual contact with employees at the State Correctional Institution at Somerset after a hearing Monday.
Laurie Semelsberger, 60, of Ebensburg, who worked as a psychological services associate at the State Correctional Institution at Somerset, was accused of having sexual encounters with the male inmate she counseled there.
In November, agent Daniel Cuiffi, of the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections, brought charges of institutional sexual assault, a felony, and official oppression, obstruction of administration of law and take/deliver obscene material to correctional institution, misdemeanors, against Semelsberger.
"The case was continued from the (most recent) trial list so we could access appropriate records of DOC (Department of Corrections)," said Semelsberger's attorney, Arthur McQuillan, of Johnstown.
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McQuillan on Feb. 21 requested in a motion to compel discovery that Bittner order the state DOC to provide any and all written reports and/or recordings concerning investigations related to incidents and/or accusations involving the inmate accuser.
The defense also requested any information by reports and/or recordings where the inmate accuser made sexual allegations against other DOC employees. And last, the defense requested that the judge order the DOC to provide the name and addresses "of the individuals who have been suspected or alleged to have had inappropriate contact with (the inmate)" and whether this action resulted in institutional discipline, workplace demotion or transfer as a result."
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"We believe it is material to our trial preparation," said McQuillan about the motion to compel discovery.
The state rules of criminal procedure provides that the Commonwealth disclosure of information material to the case is mandatory.
"It appears to undersigned counsel that the Department of Corrections (DOC) may have knowledge that (the inmate) has made allegations against others in the employ of Pennsylvania correctional facilities which may be close in time, or part of a pattern or course of conduct, with the allegations leveled against Defendant Laurie Semelsberger," McQuillan wrote in his motion.
The defense also requested that that if the matters they requested had not been committed to writing or recording that the recipients with knowledge generate a written summary concerning them. This part of the defense request appeared to not be included in the judge's order.
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According to court documents, the alleged relationship between Semelsberger and the inmate began in Oct. 2021. The relationship was discovered through an investigation in August the following year after more than 700 calls were made between the inmate and a number identified as one being used by Semelsberger. The phone calls were over an eight-month period beginning in January.
During the investigation, photos of Semelsberger were found in the inmate's cell and Semelsberger told investigators that she and the inmate had a sexual encounter in the prison's program room, according to court documents.
The 37-year-old inmate is serving a 12- to 24-year sentence for conspiracy and robbery. The Daily American does not publish names of victims of sexual assault. He was the driver in an armed street robbery by two men riding in the vehicle. He was sentenced in Nov. 2011, according to DOC records. The inmate has not been charged in this matter.
Semelsberger is scheduled to stand trial in May.
This article originally appeared on The Daily American: Judge orders DOC to turn over records in alleged sexual assault case
