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Jury back for 3rd day in Pittsburgh inmate abuse case

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Jurors have begun a third day of deliberation in the trial of a fired Pittsburgh state prison guard charged with 80 counts of inmate abuse, including beatings and sexual assaults.

Harry Nicoletti is accused by Allegheny County prosecutors of targeting convicted child molesters and pedophiles while he worked at an intake block at the century-old lockup once known as Western Penitentiary.

Nicoletti, 61, has claimed the allegations are "made up" and his attorney said they likely grew out of the inmate rumor mill.

But Deputy District Attorney Jon Pittman said the testimony of Nicoletti's 20 alleged victims, plus other witnesses, is too consistent to be untrue.

Nicoletti faces decades in prison if convicted of even a fraction of the charges he faces.

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