Pennsylvania Prison Inmate's Selfie Sparks Investigation

By Sarah Buynovsky

LACKAWANNA COUNTY, Pa. (CBS/CNN) — What Jeffrey Mattox posted on Facebook on Jan. 25 is now under investigation.

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The problem is Mattox is a federal inmate housed at Lackawanna County Prison and he is not supposed to have a cell phone. Yet, he posted the following: "This is 170 pounds of twisted steel and sex appeal."

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"It's scary, it's actually scary because they're in there for a reason, they're not in there to play around and how that cell phone got in there, that is the question," said Colleen Mowery of Carbondale.

Mattox posted other pictures of himself, which appear to be snapped inside the prison.

Lackawanna County officials say there is an investigation underway and contraband has been seized, but they will not say more than that.

Mattox, who is locked up on drug and assault charges, regularly chatted with friends and family here, telling them to call him or even video chat.

He gave out his cell phone number, too.

When Newswatch 16 tried to call it, there was a message that the subscriber we dialed was not in service.

We spoke with one man who has spent time locked up in Lackawanna County.

"My reaction was like, 'Wow, how could that happen?' like, I mean, I see stuff going through the jail all the time, but a phone? It's crazy. That is pretty dumb, like catch a lot more charges for that," said Brandon Howey of Scranton.

This is the latest scandal to hit the Lackawanna County Prison.

Earlier this year, six corrections officers were arrested and charged with sexually assaulting female inmates.

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"I think he's in good with the guards and guards are bringing, the ones bringing the stuff in, that's the only way it's getting in there. Just got to tighten down the security with the guards, maybe clean house," said Todd Mowery of Carbondale.

(© Copyright 2018 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. CNN contributed to this report.)