WATERLOO -- Three former inmates have filed a lawsuit against he county, the sheriff and a deceased deputy alleging they were sexually abused while they were at the Black Hawk County Jail.

Attorney Thomas Frerichs filed the lawsuit on behalf of the three women Thursday afternoon in U.S. District Court.

Named as defendants are Black Hawk County, the estate of Deputy Jeffrey Condit, Sheriff Michael Kubik, four unnamed male deputies and an unnamed female deputy.

Officials at the sheriff's office said they haven't been served with notice of the lawsuit and declined to comment on the allegations until they have a chance to review it.

The three women said in court records Condit coerced them into performing oral sex while they were detained at the jail. The sex acts happened in May and June 2004, just weeks before Condit died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

The unnamed deputies allegedly "threatened, intimidated and punished" the women when they reported the sexual assaults, records state.

Kubik is named as a defendant under allegations the jail lacked adequate monitoring and safeguards to prevent attacks on women, the suit states.

Officials covered up the actions in an attempt to avoid public disclosure of the incidents, the suit states.

Court records show one woman was in jail on an attempted murder charge, another was awaiting trial for manufacturing methamphetamine and the third was in jail for burglary.

Condit, 46 and of Independence, began working at the Black Hawk sheriff's office in May 1992.

His body was found in June 2004 shortly after he had been placed on administrative leave for undisclosed reasons. An autopsy ruled he died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

Attorney Gregory Greiner of Des Moines filed court papers to establish Condit's estate in Buchanan County May 10.

Greiner, who was named the administrator, said he was asked to set up the estate in preparation for the lawsuit but declined to comment further.

This is the second time a lawsuit has been filed in connection with allegations of sexual misconduct in the jail.

In 2003, a female inmate took former deputy Robert Frazier to court over an incident in 2002.

Frazier, a 17-year veteran of the office, pleaded guilty to sexual misconduct with an offender, and Black Hawk County agreed to pay a $47,500 civil settlement.

Contact Jeff Reinitz at (319) 291-1578 or jeff.reinitz@wcfcourier.com.