A Florida nurse has been charged with multiple counts of sexual assault after he told several dozen patients that a gynecological exam was part of the COVID-19 testing procedure.
Billy J. O’Brien, 23, a nurse at Jackson Memorial Hospital, was arrested by Miami police this week after several complaints of patients raised the alarm.
O’Brien, who was assigned to COVID-19 testing, allegedly performed inappropriate gestures of sexual nature upon his victims who believed they were being tested for the coronavirus.
“He told me to close my eyes and to keep my mouth wide open before inserting something very warm inside my mouth that had the shape and taste of a small penis,” one anonymous victim recalled in horror.
Dr. Julia Ramirez at Jackson Memorial Hospital assured that the official COVID-19 test did not imply any gynecological exam or rely on the touching of the breasts, genitals, or of the anal region in any way or form.
“I had to undress completely and wear a hospital gown. Then he turned me around, spread my legs, and inserted his finger in my anus, telling me he could guess my temperature without a thermometer,” another victim told reporters.
One woman was shocked to see nurse O’Brien performing a COVID-19 test on another patient with his pants down to his knees and decided to skip the test completely.
“I thought to myself, there are things worse than having the coronavirus, and that was one of them,” she recounted to reporters after fleeing the hospital.
Since the arrest, three former patients of Jackson Memorial Hospital were reported pregnant after testing for COVID-19 and health authorities are now investigating.
Official testing for COVID-19 involves inserting a 6-inch-long swab or Q-tip into the cavity between the nose and mouth for 15 seconds and rotating it several times.
