2 Pa. guards try to avoid trial, jail in sex case

INDIANA, Pa. (AP) — Two suspended female western Pennsylvania county jail guards are hoping to avoid trial and jail for alleged sexual assaults involving three female inmates.

Authorities say 43-year-old Molly Gross, of Ligonier, sexually assaulted the victims at the Indiana County Jail in White Township between September 2009 and September 2010. The other guard, 51-year-old Margaret Dailey, of Indiana, is charged with threatening one of the inmates because Dailey allegedly was involved with Gross at the time and became jealous.

The Indiana Gazette reports Dailey has been accepted into a first-time offenders’ program and will have her record expunged if she completes a year on probation. Gross has applied for the same program, but won’t know if she’s accepted until next month.

Gross’s attorney has argued the inmates were “scheming” to falsely accuse the guards.