An Auburn Correctional Facility inmate was convicted Friday in Auburn City Court of assaulting a correction officer.

Kevin Halloway, serving a lengthy prison sentence for manslaughter and criminal possession of a weapon, was found guilty of forcible touching for grabbing the private area of a female correction officer July 23, 2006, according to a news release from Cayuga County District Attorney James Vargason.

A jury of four men and two women deliberated about 25 minutes before delivering the verdict, Vargason said.

Holloway was sentenced to one year in jail and assessed $1,600 in fines and surcharges, that will be deducted from his inmate account.

Vargason said assistant district attorney Christopher T. Valdina previously secured the conviction of another ACF inmate for forcible touching in an incident involving a different female correction officer and is currently handling the prosecution of an inmate for the attempted rape of a female civilian employee.

“The increasing number of sexual assaults on female correction officers and other staff ... shows that we need harsher penalties for such crimes, many of which may only be charged as misdemeanors,” Vargason said. “Quite simply, any sex crime committed by an inmate against staff should be punishable by a mandatory consecutive prison term.”