Hospital employee accused of sexually abusing patients

Emerson Jean is accused of digitally penetrating a patient at HCA Westside Hospital in Plantation, Florida. He may have also attacked other patients, cops say. (Jean: Broward County Jail; Background: Google Maps)

A nursing technician at a Florida hospital is behind bars after allegedly sexually abusing a 70-year-old patient.

Emerson Jean, 45, is charged with sexual battery of a helpless person, false imprisonment and battery on a person 65 years of age or older. Officers with the Plantation Police Department responded to HCA Westside Hospital, 8201 W. Broward Blvd., on May 29. The woman accused Jean of digitally penetrating her in the hospital bed.

According to an arrest affidavit, officers already knew Jean because he was a suspect in another case involving similar allegations. The victim told investigators she came to the hospital’s emergency room on Memorial Day and was later admitted for stomach pains. Jean and a nurse introduced themselves and left the room.

She told investigators she tried turning on her side to relieve the pain and Jean came back into her room, leaned over and whispered in her ear, asking if she was in pain. The woman said Jean “insisted” on performing a gynecological exam on her. Then Jean allegedly lifted her bedsheet. He tried to pull up her underwear and when that didn’t work, he pulled them down, the affidavit states.

“(Jean) was described as laying on her right side and then placing his body over hers,” the affidavit states. “(The victim) was unable to move her right arm/hand at this time. She also was unable to remove it from her body or move her body at all.”

Jean then “forcibly” penetrated her vagina with his fingers, investigators wrote. She told investigators that he hurt her and she was unable to call for help.

“(The victim) broke down even more at this point in his statement and screamed, ‘I’m an old woman, why is he doing this to me?'” the affidavit states.

Jean left the room, leaving her in pain. When a doctor came in a short time later, she told him what had happened and he went to report it. Two nurses came in to take her statement. When Jean returned to the room, one of the nurses said in a “stern voice” that Jean would not “get too close” to the patient again. Jean claimed the woman wanted him to examine her. The hospital later placed him on leave.

The nurses explained to the detectives that Jean had no reason or authority to examine the patient.

“At HCA Florida Westside Hospital, we do not tolerate behavior that jeopardizes the well-being and safety of our patients. When we learned of the allegations, we suspended the individual from all duties and barred him from hospital grounds. We are assisting law enforcement in their investigation,” the hospital said in a statement.

Plantation police said in a news release that they are investigating possible sexual misconduct by Jean that occurred between January and May. Jean has been employed at the hospital since 2021, police said.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Plantation Police Detective William Tighe II at 954-797-2120 or [email protected]. Individuals may also contact Broward County Crime Stoppers anonymously at 954-493-8477.

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