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Inmate sneaks across floor in attempted sexual assault at Maricopa County jail

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Updated  September 20, 2024 9:16am MST
Crime and Public Safety
FOX 10 Phoenix

Inmate attempts sexual assault in Arizona jail

An inmate at an Arizona jail tried to slide across the intake floor to assault a woman but was caught after security was alerted by a screaming witness, authorities said.

The Brief

    • An inmate at a Maricopa County jail slid across the floor out of the vision of a supervisor in an alleged attempt to sexually assault a woman on the female side of the intake area.
    • Security was alerted by another woman who started screaming when the man dropped his pants.

TEMPE, Ariz. - A shocking incident caught on camera at a Maricopa County jail of an inmate sneaking past a security guard to reach the facility's female side. 

This happened back in April at the Maricopa County intake facility. 

Justin Avery was held there for allegedly assaulting multiple women at ASU's Tempe campus. 

Court documents say Avery dropped his pants behind a sleeping inmate. 

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He was stopped when another woman spotted him and screamed, alerting security guards. 

According to the documents, he later admitted he planned to sexually assault her. 

(Maricopa County jail security camera footage)

In response, MCSO says they've added mirrors to better monitor blind spots, and they are working to ensure this doesn't happen again. 

Avery was charged with an additional count of sexual assault and is reportedly due in court next week.