Saturday, November 7, 2009

Security guard gets 3 months house arrest for sex assault on co-worker

Ralph Robles, a 39 year old former hospital guard, will serve 3 months of house arrest for the indecent assault on a co-worker in Bethlehem, PA. Robles plead guilty to the assault in the hospital basement. Northampton County Judge Stephen Baratta sentenced Robles Thursday, November 5 after reading a pre-sentence report suggesting that he is a low risk to reoffend.

Robles, a seven-year Easton Hospital security guard, was charged with putting a switchboard operator in a head lock and forcing her to perform oral sex Jan. 7, 2007, while she was working alone.

But when he pleaded guilty in September, it was to a second-degree misdemeanor count of indecent assault, with prosecutors dropping a more serious felony charge of involuntary deviate sexual intercourse.

Reading from a presentence investigation, Baratta said Robles admitted only to rubbing up against the victim on various occasions. ''The situation was a big mistake,'' said Robles, who was fired by the hospital after the charges surfaced.

Robles, who will serve 21 months of probation after the house arrest is over, must undergo sex offender treatment. Robles has a civil judgement against him by his victim, who alleges that he had a history of assault and harassment before the sex attack. Easton Hospital and some of its administrators are also named in the federal lawsuit.

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