Jail guard accused of watching porn with inmates

A Cook County correctional officer and two inmates all face charges after the trio watched pornography on a cellphone in the jail's barbershop, the Cook County sheriff's office said.

The charges, announced Thursday by Sheriff Thomas J. Dart's office, stem from an investigation that began in early July after internal investigators revealed contraband was being brought into the jail.

Oscar Taylor, 53, of Oak Park was tasked with monitoring inmates getting haircuts in the barbershop. An investigator observed Taylor watching pornographic videos with two inmates, the sheriff's office said. Cellphones are not allowed within the jail.

As part of the investigation, a gun was found in Taylor's vehicle, the sheriff's office said. His FOID card is currently revoked as part of an unrelated off-duty incident.

Taylor was charged with three counts of unauthorized bringing contraband into a penal institution, one count aggravated unlawful use of a weapon and unlawful use of a weapon after carrying an uncased revolver near ammunition.

The inmates, William Taylor, 27, and Tyrone Noel, 39, were charged with possession of contraband. Oscar Taylor and William Taylor are not related.

Taylor resigned shortly after the arrest after 22 years with the sheriff's office. He appeared in bond court Wednesday at the George N. Leighton Criminal Court Building and was released on electric monitoring.