EspañolRiverside Nurse Jacob Hartman (Full Name: Jacob Daniel Hartman), 27, of Corona, Arrested For Allegedly Assaulting Unconscious Patient At Kaiser Permanente Hospital
RIVERSIDE, CALIFORNIA (March 2, 2024) – A male nurse identified as Jacob Hartman has been arrested following accusations that he sexually assaulted a female patient he was caring for.
Riverside County officials are saying that the defendant was arrested on Wednesday. The arrest came after law enforcement conducted an investigation after a woman said that she was sexually assaulted.
The sexual assault allegedly took place at Kaiser Permanente Hospital in Riverside. The Riverside Police Department said that Jacob Hartman is facing several charges related to sexual assault and sexual assault of an unconscious person.
An official for the hospital said that the defendant is no longer employed at the hospital. The defendant was booked into the Robert Presley Detention Center and was released after posting $55,000 bail.
Investigators are looking into the possibility that there may be other victims of Jacob Hartman. A full investigation remains ongoing at this time.
Liability For Riverside County Nurse Sexual Abuse
Sexual abuse involving patients is sadly far too common in the medical field. According to one study in Consumer Reports, there were more than 3,100 practicing doctors who had been publicly disciplined after they were accused of sexual abuse. More than 2/3 of the doctors sanctioned were accused of violations involving their patients. Hospitals should take several steps in order to help prevent patients from being sexually abused.
- Hospital employees should get thorough background checks.
- Hospital employees should be monitored during their work. This is especially important during sensitive examinations.
- Hospitals should cooperate with law enforcement and investigate all allegations of misconduct.
- Hospitals should train all employees to look for signs that patients are being sexually abused.
It is illegal for any doctor or nurse to commit any type of sexual battery on a patient through force or by means of deception. According to California Penal Code § 243.4 PC (a), any person who touches an intimate part of another person while that person is unlawfully restrained for the purposes of sexual arousal, sexual gratification, or sexual abuse is guilty of sexual battery. Pursuant to California Penal Code § 243.4(c), a person commits sexual battery by fraudulent representation when they trick a person into believing that the battery serves some type of medical or professional purpose.
Depending on the facts of any case, a hospital could be liable if a nurse or doctor sexually abused a patient. Hospitals have a legal responsibility to protect patients from reasonably foreseeable sources of harm. This includes protection against sexual abuse. If a patient can show that a doctor’s employer created a particular hazard or risk to patients, that employer can be held vicariously liable for the doctor’s actions. There are several steps that should be taken after any instance of sexual abuse by a healthcare provider.
- Eyewitnesses should be interviewed.
- Medical records should be preserved.
- Surveillance footage should be sought.
- An experienced sexual abuse attorney should be contacted.
Sexual abuse within a hospital is rarely an isolated incident. In many circumstances, abusers may have several victims over a period of many years. Hospital employees are supposed to report reasonably suspected sexual abuse. But far too often, this does not happen. By the time that any nurse or doctor is arrested for sexual abuse, there are likely dozens of red flags that were missed. Any person who is sexually abused in a hospital may be able to seek some measure of justice through a civil claim.
Investigating Riverside County Nurse Sexual Abuse
We at the Carrillo Law Firm extend our best wishes to all of the patients who may have been impacted by the actions of Jacob Hartman. Any person who may have more information about what happened should reach out to the police. There needs to be a thorough investigation and some accountability for what happened. It is our sincere hope that Kaiser Permanente Hospital in Riverside will take additional measures to prevent this from happening again.
Have you or someone that you care about been sexually abused by healthcare providers in Riverside County? You may be entitled to damages. Our team of sexual abuse attorneys is here to help in any way that we can. We care deeply that abuse victims are aware of their rights and that both abusers and their employers are held responsible. Whether you just have legal questions or are wondering how an attorney may be able to help, we are here for you. You can reach out to us anytime at 626-799-9375.
