SCRANTON -- The first of seven Lackawanna County Prison corrections officers charged with sexually assaulting female inmates was in court Friday.
Two women testified about the alleged abuse.
James Walsh is in trouble because two women who are locked up claim Walsh sexually assaulted them several years ago.
His lawyer calls James Walsh, 51, of Roaring Brook Township, a family man and a community leader.
But when asked about what happened with women behind bars, Walsh had no comment.
Walsh has been on paid administrative leave for more than a year after claims of abuse were first made in a federal lawsuit.
In court Friday, two women claimed they were coerced into performing sex acts with Walsh between 12 and16 years ago.
One female inmate said she felt pressure to perform sex acts with Walsh in 2002 saying, "I was at the county prison and I knew it could get bad for me."
A second inmate, also still in prison, testified she left the jail to work at a retailer during the day and once snuck out from work early to go to a bar near the jail. That's when she ran into Walsh.
She says Walsh then visited her at the shopping center and says she felt pressured to perform a sex act in his car after he asked, "Did you put down that you were at the bar on your (work release) log sheet?"
When the woman said no, she said Walsh responded, "why would I tell anyone?"
That woman claimed Walsh first visited her at her work release job in 2006, giving her a Victoria Secrets gift card.