Duquesne man accused of groping female Westmoreland sheriff's deputy

A Duquesne man is accused of groping a female Westmoreland County sheriff’s deputy this week, moments after he pleaded guilty and was sentenced in a drug case, according to court papers.

Investigators said Jerome D. Felton, 23, pinned the deputy up against a wall and groped her while she was trying to open a holding cell at the Westmoreland County Courthouse.

Felton was handcuffed and shackled when the deputy took him from the courtroom after his guilty plea to an elevator where he suggested kissing her, according to court papers.

Sheriff’s deputies reported in court papers that video surveillance of the incident outside the holding cell showed Felton push the deputy against the wall and grope her. He advanced toward her a second time after she pushed him away, according to court papers.

Felton was arraigned Tuesday and was being held at the Westmoreland County Prison on $25,000 bail. He is charged with indecent assault and two counts of harassment.

He was sentenced Monday to one year to two years and six months in a state prison, along with three years of probation in connection with the March 2023 drug-related incident in Rostraver. Weapons violations were dismissed as part of a plea agreement, according to court records.

Felton was paroled in October 2022 in connection with a 2019 gun case in Homestead, according to court records. He was the driver of an SUV seen leaving the scene where gunshots had been reported, police said.

The SUV led police on a chase, and authorities noticed Felton had a gun when the SUV stopped and he ran. The gun was reported stolen out of Glassport in 2018. A detainer has been issued in that case.