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<p>WILKES-BARRE &#8212; A Berwick woman who was employed as a librarian at a state prison has admitted to having sexual contact with one of the inmates.</p><p>Karen Stroup, 44, pleaded guilty to a felony count of institutional sexual assault on Monday before Luzerne County Judge Michael T. Vough.</p><p>According to an affidavit:</p><p>Stroup was employed as a librarian for SCI Retreat, which is in Hunlock Creek.</p><p>She was arrested July 28 after a state trooper responded to the prison for a report of &#8220;inappropriate touching&#8221; between an employee and an inmate.</p><p>Trooper Robert Franchella was told by Deputy Superintendent Kevin Ransom that Stroup had come into his office that day to confess.</p><p>Franchella interviewed Stroup, who said she was attracted to the inmate and began a sexual relationship with him June 10.</p><p>Stroup told Franchella she and the inmate would go into the library closet, where they would perform oral sex on each other.</p><p>Franchella also interviewed the inmate, who told him Stroup had approached him to work in the library, beginning the inappropriate contact with him only two days later. The inmate corroborated Stroup&#8217;s claims, adding that encounters also occurred in her office.</p><p>Judge Vough ordered Stroup to register as a sexual offender, and she will be evaluated by the state Sexual Offenders Assessment Board.</p><p>Her sentencing was set for June 15.</p><p>Records show the inmate was in SCI Retreat serving a five- to 10-year sentence for possessing a firearm as a felon, which was running concurrent with a 15-year federal term for drug trafficking.</p><p>The inmate is now housed elsewhere, records state.</p><style>
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<div class="neCaption">Stroup </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/web1_Stroup.jpg</photo0><caption0>Stroup </caption0><photoCredit0></photoCredit0></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Patrick Kernan</p><p>pkernan@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach Patrick Kernan at 570-991-6386 or on Twitter @PatKernan</p></shirttailMeta></div>

Prison librarian pleads guilty to sex acts with inmate in library closet