Arnold man cleared of assault on inmate during sheriff transport

A Westmoreland County jury on Tuesday acquitted an Arnold man of assaulting a female inmate while the two were being taken to jail in the back seat of a sheriff’s car.

Jurors deliberated one hour before returning not-guilty verdicts on charges of aggravated harassment by a prisoner and indecent assault in connection with an incident more than eight years ago. The incident previously led to a federal lawsuit that resulted in Westmoreland County paying a $10,000 settlement to the female inmate.

Prosecutors contended William R. Taylor, 50, made a sexual advance on the woman during their ride in a police vehicle on June 10, 2017.

Taylor’s accuser filed a federal lawsuit that Westmoreland County commissioners settled in 2018. In the suit, she claimed she suffered emotional distress, anxiety and sleepless nights. According to the lawsuit, the woman claimed Taylor was not secured by a seat belt in the vehicle when he leaned over and made sexual advances.

In the criminal case, police said the incident occurred after sheriff deputies picked up the female inmate from the Vandergrift police station and Taylor from New Kensington to take them to the jail.

Taylor denied the allegations but did not testify during his two-day trial.

He is scheduled to return to court Wednesday for a second trial on unrelated counts of driving while intoxicated and the attempted bribery of a Lower Burrell police officer. The arrest followed a crash the same day the assault allegation was made.

Police contend Taylor was intoxicated and unable to safely drive when he crashed a vehicle on Seventh Street Road. According to court records, Taylor failed three field sobriety tests and, while being taken to the hospital for a blood test and back to the police station to be processed, he repeatedly offered the arresting officer bribes of up to $300 to release him, police said.

Court records indicate Taylor was released on unsecured bonds in both cases in October 2017 and was not returned to custody until last year. He remains free after posting bonds totaling $75,000 in August 2024.