A former Phelps County corrections officer pleaded not guilty to eight charges of sexually assaulting female inmates.

Louis P. Campana Jr. of Holdrege was arrested Nov. 6 and has been charged with four counts of felony first-degree sexual abuse of an inmate and four counts of second-degree sexual abuse of an inmate.

According to court documents, Campana worked for Phelps County from April 21, 2010, to Oct. 1, 2012, when he resigned.

Court records outline against Campana:

On July 11, the Phelps County Sheriff’s Office received a report from a former female inmate that Campana was involved in sexual contact with female inmates.

Phelps County Sheriff Gene Samuelson contacted the Nebraska State Patrol about the report on July 13. Campana was placed on administrative leave the same day while an investigation was conducted.

The investigation revealed that Campana allegedly assaulted four former or current female inmates several times from March 22 to July 9 at the Phelps County Jail. The incidents occurred in the cellblock and individual jail cells.

Campana allegedly entered the cellblock to talk to the inmates from a door not commonly used by correctional officers and out of view of video cameras.

According to the victims, Campana allegedly would provide them with candy and pop and do other favors for them and would say the victims owed him.

Campana is free on a $150,000 bond under the condition he does not contact the victims.

He pleaded not guilty Dec. 14 and waived his preliminary hearing in Phelps County Court. He is scheduled for a hearing Feb. 5 in Phelps County District Court.

If convicted, and he isn’t placed on probation, he faces up to 20 years in prison for the first-degree sexual assault charges, and up to five years each on the second-degree sexual assault charges.