DAUPHIN COUNTY, Pa. — Update, Jan. 17: A former Dauphin County Prison correctional officer is accused of indecently assaulting an inmate who could not give consent due to the nature of their relationship.
The Dauphin County Criminal Investigation Division and Dauphin County Prison (DCP) launched a joint investigation upon receiving a tip that an officer, Donald Drybola, 47, from Gettysburg, was providing illegal contraband to an inmate.
When questioned, the inmate allegedly told officials that she and Drybola began communicating through notes sometime in November 2022 before they moved to texting. Drybola used a TextNow phone number under a fake name to communicate with the DCP inhabitant, according to officials.
The inmate allegedly told police that the conversations between herself and Drybola were occasionally sexual in nature, but they talked about a variety of things.
The woman reported that the officer gave her money for the commissary in return for cleaning for him. A criminal complaint states that he also brought her mints and lip balm, but no illegal contraband.
According to a criminal complaint, the correctional officer and inmate had physical contact involving hugging or kissing that lasted less than a minute on three separate occasions. The DCP inhabitant allegedly told officers about all three instances, whereas police say Drybola initially denied all three before agreeing that contact had occurred.
Surveillance video and approximate times and dates provided by the inmate confirmed these instances, according to an affidavit of probable cause.
After word of Drybola's relationship with the inmate began to spread, the officer allegedly was suspended and then resigned.
According to a criminal complaint, the two still communicate and have met up in person once since the inmate was released in December with Drybola's financial assistance. Drybola now uses his real name and phone number to talk to her.
The investigating parties requested a charge of indecent assault - forcible compulsion to be brought against Drybola because since he was a correctional officer at the time of the contact and the victim an inmate, consent cannot be implied.
Previously: A former Dauphin County Prison correctional officer has been charged with indecent assault of an inmate.
According to Dauphin County officials, Donald Drybola, 47, from Gettysburg, was charged Friday, Jan. 13 for the assault of an inmate late last year.
Drybola worked as a correctional officer for 21 months prior to his separation from the county on Dec. 9.
A Criminal Investigation Division of the District Attorney's Office investigated and filed charges Friday afternoon.
According to the charges, the inmate could not legally consent to the alleged indecent contact because of Drybola's position as a correctional officer.
