A 59-year-old Corrective Services officer has pleaded not guilty in Cessnock Local Court to three charges involving allegations he assaulted and committed a sexual offence on a colleague at Hunter Correctional Centre at Cessnock earlier this year.
The man has also sought a suppression order so that his name cannot be published which was granted on an interim basis only.
Detectives from the Robbery and Serious Crime Squad's Corrective Services Investigation Unit started an investigation into allegations of inappropriate sexual behaviour by a male correctional officer in May, following a referral from the correctional facility.
Police say they conducted extensive investigations before detectives arrested the man at his home near Lake Macquarie about 8.40am on Friday.
He was taken to Belmont police station where he was charged with two counts of common assault and incite other to do sexual act with them without consent.
Police allege that the man attempted to instigate sexual activity with a female employee at Hunter Correctional Centre in April this year, and that he touched women inappropriately on a number of occasions.
He was granted strict conditional bail to appear at Cessnock Local Court on Wednesday where he pleaded not guilty to the three charges.
A Corrective Services NSW spokeswoman confirmed that the man, an officer from Hunter Correctional Centre, has been suspended. Corrective Services will support police with their investigation, she said.
