Stillwater Inmate Sentenced to 10 Years for Sexually Assaulting Prison Guard
An inmate that was serving time at the Stillwater Correctional Institution was sentenced to 10 years in prison after he sexually assaulted a prison guard in June of 2019. Inmate Mal Pauliet Tharjiath, 28, was previously convicted of 4th-degree criminal sexual conduct and 4th-degree assault.
A criminal complaint filed in district court says that on June 26, 2019, a correctional officer was escorting Tharjiath to health services due to a medical issue. The officer unlocked the first door to the health services sally port and proceeded to unlock the second door. As she was attempting to unlock the second door, the inmate forcefully pushed his hand between the officers’ legs, attempting to force his hand through her pants. The officer immediately yelled “stop” and pushed Tharjiath away. The officer was able to exit the sally port and lock Tharjiath in until other staff arrived. The officer suffered bruising on her thigh because of the attack.
Tharjiath has nine felony convictions on his record in Minnesota, many for assaulting officers. A previous conviction was for physically assaulting a Mower County correctional officer which resulted in the officer suffering a broken shoulder. Tharjiath also has convictions for burglary, stalking, and escape from custody. Tharjiath is now being held at the Oak Park Heights prison.
Tharjiath was sentenced for the new conviction in July.
