Female prison staff worker charged with sexually assaulting male prisoners at Kirkham jail pleads not guilty

A female prison librarian at Kirkham jail alleged to have sexually assaulted multiple male prisoners has appeared at Preston Crown Court.

Sharon Mawdsley, of St Lukes Road, Blackpool, appeared at Preston Crown Court on Tuesday (October 11) for a Plea and Trial Preparation Hearing.

The 45-year-old faces nine charges, three for misconduct in a public office and six for sexual assaulting men, all over a seven-month period between December 1, 2017 and July 5, 2018

Mawdsley pleaded not guilty to all nine counts.

Former prison librarian Sharon Mawdsley pleaded not guilty to nine counts at Preston Crown Court. (Pictured at Preston Magistrates Court on Sept 8.)placeholder image
Former prison librarian Sharon Mawdsley pleaded not guilty to nine counts at Preston Crown Court. (Pictured at Preston Magistrates Court on Sept 8.)
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Preston Crown Court has directed that the trial be set for September 25 2023, in just under a year.

There will be a further Plea and Direction Hearing on January 4 2023, and a pre-trail review on July 24 2023.

Mawdsley had previously appeared at Preston Magistrates Court on Thursday (September 8), where she was not asked to enter a plea and was granted unconditional bail by the district judge.

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