PORTLAND – A former prison guard pleaded not guilty to charges he helped another guard have sex with two inmates at the Maine Correctional Center in Windham.

Glenn Works, 45, of Mechanic Falls made the plea Wednesday at his arraignment in Cumberland County Superior Court.

Works is charged with gross sexual assault and two counts of failure to report sexual assault because he allegedly helped guard Bradford Howard, 36, of Lyman, have sex with two inmates at MCC in February.

Works is charged with assault because under Maine law, a person can be charged with the crime if he aids and abets someone in a rape. Maine law also says that consensual sex between prison guards and inmates is considered gross sexual assault because guards have supervisory authority over the prisoners.

Works resigned from his position at MCC in early July.

Cumberland County Assistant District Attorney Julia Sheridan asked Justice William Broderick that Works’ cash bail be set at $500.

“These are serious charges. The state is looking for some jail time,” Sheridan said. She added that Works has a criminal record, but not a serious one, of criminal trespass and assault in 1997 and 1988.

“Given that we ask for $500 cash bail,” Sheridan told the judge, Works should “have no contact with the co-defendant (Howard), and no contact with the two victims,” and not work in law enforcement.

Works’ lawyer, Heather Walker, said she had no objection to the conditions except the cash bail. Works is not a flight risk, she said.

Works learned about his charges “from the nightly news,” Walker said. “He called the police and offered to turn himself in.” Police told him that wasn’t necessary, Walker said.

Works is a graduate of Portland High School, has family in Maine, and has served in the military. He will appear in court, Walker promised.

Justice Broderick agreed no cash bail was necessary.

After the arraignment, Works and his lawyer said they had no comment.

Works’ lawyer has 21 days to file motions. Following any hearings, a trial would be scheduled.

No date is set for the trial.

Works was a prison guard for nearly two decades. On Feb. 26, he notified authorities of his suspicions that Howard was having sex with inmates at the prison, and met with an investigator at a McDonald’s Restaurant in North Windham.

Works was not implicated when Howard was indicted in April, but an indictment handed up in July charged Howard and Works. The affidavit says that one of the inmates admitted to having sex with Howard on two occasions in a broom closet in a section of the prison referred to as C-Walk.

Sheridan said Wednesday that she could not comment on why Works was charged with the crimes after he reportedly shared his suspicions with an investigator.