Former Inmates Accuse NY Prison Guard of Rape – Shocking Allegations
Yaritza Colon, a former female inmate, is suing the state of New York for $20 million, alleging state prison officials failed to protect her from Pedro Norde, a correction officer she says forced her to perform sexual favors behind bars. “Sometimes I couldn’t even come out of my cell until I flashed him my breasts,” Colon said, recalling her time in the Taconic Correctional Facility back in 2018. Another plaintiff, who asked not to be named because of the graphic nature of her allegations, said Norde raped her on three occasions late at night in 2007 and 2008, while she was housed in the now-shuttered Bayview Correctional Facility. She’s also suing the state for $20 million. “He would come to my door and just let himself in my room. And the standard thing was, ‘get up against the wall.’ And we all know what happens after ‘get up against the wall,’” she said. Pedro Norde’s attorney, James Blenk, declined to answer detailed questions about the lawsuits, but said his client wanted to convey a written response to the allegations outlined in an email from the NBC New York I-Team. “Mr. Norde denies many of the accusations below and specifically denies that he ever had inappropriate physical contact with an incarcerated individual,” Blenk wrote. Norde has never been charged with a sex crime, and he has not been subject to any administrative findings of sexual misconduct.
Investigations
But the female plaintiffs say New York’s Department of Corrections and Community Supervision (DOCCS) knew of a “widespread, pervasive, and ongoing sexual abuse problem in each and every female prison that was part of its correctional system.” And they say better supervision of Norde could have led to his termination. “We know that he had prior disciplinary actions against him, which did not lead to his release,” said Adam Slater, an attorney who represents six former female inmates, all in some stage of litigation, who accuse Norde of abusing them behind bars. According to a summary provided by DOCCS, Norde’s employment record has been dotted with disciplinary notices and suspensions. In 2002 and 2003 he was disciplined for excessive tardiness and absenteeism. In 2012 he was suspended after an arrest for allegedly violating an order of protection. In 2015 he was suspended again after he allegedly left an inmate unattended, allowing the prisoner to escape. Most recently, in 2019, the department tried to fire Norde after he was accused of inappropriate contact with a parolee. But an arbitrator blocked his termination – and after two years of appeals, Norde was permitted to go back to work and collect more than $270,000 in backpay. “They knew as early as 2019 that he was doing things such as contacting former incarcerated women,” Slater said. “He should have been removed for that. So the fact that four years later he was collecting that kind of money, or any money, is really appalling.” In 2020, another plaintiff, referred to only as Jane Stone #3, filed a federal lawsuit alleging “Norde raped [her] more than twenty times and infected her with herpes” while she was also housed in the Taconic women’s facility. That former inmate said she filed a complaint against Norde under the Prison Rape Elimination Act, known as PREA. It’s not clear what became of that complaint. Norde has denied that woman’s allegation in court filings. In an email to the I-Team, a DOCCS spokesperson said state prison officials have “zero tolerance for violence, sexual abuse, sexual harassment, and unauthorized relationships” and emphasized “The Department thoroughly investigates all reports of misconduct.” Moreover, DOCCS suggested its attempt to fire Norde in 2019, though scuttled by labor union protections, demonstrates prison managers were trying to take affirmative action to protect female inmates. Norde was transferred to a male prison after he returned from that most recent suspension. The I-Team reached out to NYSCOPBA, the union that represents uniformed state correction officers, but did not immediately hear back. Norde’s attorney says his client anticipates retiring from the state prison system before the end of this year. Yaritza Colon said she has a retirement message for the correction officer she now accuses of sexual abuse behind bars. “If you have daughters, they should be ashamed of you,” Colon said. “If you have a wife I don’t even know how she allows you to touch her, knowing what you are doing at work.”
