A former prison guard said an ex-Philly homicide detective tried to sexually assault him in a car

A former state prison guard said Wednesday that former Philadelphia homicide detective Philip Nordo tried to force oral sex on him in a car several years ago, pulling on his shorts and pinning his neck against the window before he was able to break free and open the car door.

Speaking to jurors on the third day of Nordo’s sexual assault trial, the man delivered his account in a hushed voice, often pausing to gather himself and wiping back tears during breaks.

After he met Nordo as a witness during a homicide investigation, the man said, Nordo harassed him for months. Then, in spring 2016, he said, he and Nordo met in the detective’s car, where Nordo touched the man’s leg, and then tried to force his mouth onto the man’s groin.

“It’s not something I want to remember,” the man said. “It destroyed who I am as a person.”

The man’s account in court Wednesday marked the second time in two days that a witness has accused Nordo of abuse during the course of investigations. (The Inquirer does not name people who say they were sexually assaulted without their permission.)

Nordo, once a star homicide detective, faces charges of rape, sexual assault, and official oppression. He has denied any wrongdoing.

And his lawyers on Wednesday were quick to emphasize what they viewed as a series of inconsistencies in the witness’ account.

Attorney Michael van der Veen spent more than an hour questioning the man about his grand jury testimony, phone records, and other documents in an attempt to highlight discrepancies in his previous descriptions of the encounter.

In some of those instances, van der Veen pointed out, the man did not mention being touched by Nordo, let alone sexually assaulted. And van der Veen highlighted the lack of clarity in some basic details of the man’s account, such as when the assault happened or whom he told about it.

At one point, the man said he reported the assault to a crisis hotline for prison employees and was later sent to a psychiatric hospital for 24 hours. But van der Veen, citing documents about that episode, pointed out the documents made no mention of Nordo.

“I could be confused, I don’t doubt that,” the man said, adding that he was ashamed and embarrassed by the encounter and already struggling mentally due to unspecified difficulties at work. “I could be saying some wrong dates, but I just know it happened.”

Prosecutors have said they will present testimony from three main witnesses — two of whom have now testified — to show Nordo abused men he met during his time in the Police Department’s homicide unit.

Throughout the trial, Nordo’s attorneys have sought to undermine the credibility of his accusers.

Under questioning, both of the men who’ve taken the stand so far have acknowledged difficulty remembering some details about their interactions with Nordo. But both have also said the memories were painful and traumatic, and that inconsistencies in their recollections do not mean they’re being untruthful.

“You’re asking me to remember specifics of 10 years ago when my life fell apart,” the witness who testified Wednesday said. “This is not something I remember or share with anyone.”

During his time on the stand, the man made clear that he didn’t want to be there. At one point, when van der Veen asked him to look at a piece of evidence, he asked quietly, “Do I have to?”

The trial was expected to continue Thursday.