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James Close, 45, allegedly photographed and filmed naked patients. Picture: Bucks County DA
A NURSE allegedly took secret photographs and videos of eight naked patients — including a 17-year-old girl — during appointments at a dermatology office in the US.
James Close, 45, was initially charged earlier this month with recording the nude teenager while working at Penn Medicine Dermatology in Yardley, Pennsylvania.
But investigators later found videos of seven additional female patients and three more clips of the teen in his iPhone, according to court documents.
The New York Post reports police were called to the practice on February 13 after the 17-year-old spotted a silver iPhone on the ground while she was undressed to receive radiation treatment for a skin disorder.
“The iPhone’s screen indicated that it was recording live video and that it had been doing so for 25 seconds,” Detective Richard Meehl said in the affidavit of probable cause. “She could see her full nude reflection on the active iPhone camera. She turned the phone over to facility staff upon discovering it at her feet.”
Detectives later obtained a search warrant for Close’s phone and discovered roughly 18 videos depicting the teen and seven other victims under Close’s care.
In each video, according to court records, four of the women are completely nude and one is nude below her torso. None of them consented to be recorded by Close, authorities said.
Police said Close’s voice is recognisable on the videos and his face is even spotted in one — a 49-second clip that shows one victim’s breasts during a visit.
James Close allegedly secretly filmed patients at Penn Medicine Dermatology in Pennsylvania. Picture: WPVI-TVSource:Supplied
The videos found on Close’s phone dated from January 18 through to his arrest on February 13, ranging from 13 seconds to more than 3 minutes long.
He’s scheduled to be arraigned on Tuesday on 43 new charges and is being held at the Bucks County Correctional Facility on $US100,000 ($130,100) bail, according to Larry King, a spokesman for the Bucks County District Attorney’s Office.
Officials at Penn Medicine declined early on Tuesday to indicate how long Close had been employed and whether he had any prior disciplinary issues at the practice.
“We are appalled at the actions of this former employee and are co-operating fully with the police as they investigate this very disturbing matter,” spokeswoman Susan Phillips said.
This story originally appeared in The New York Post and has been republished here with permission.