A disturbing story was recently reported on by KY3 News involving a nursing home worker in Missouri who had been accused of raping two mentally handicapped women at the facility he had been working at. The worker, who has been identified as 44-year-old Paul Christianson, was arrested at his home back in June 2018, after investigators interviewed a victim and learned of the crimes Christianson had been accused of committing.
The news source said that court documents had been obtained through the Stone County Prosecutor’s Office and indicated that Christianson had admitted to detectives that he had “sexual intercourse a minimum of five times with two different females in the home.” He also admitted to committing additional sexual acts with the women. Investigators determined that the victims have “diminished mental capacity and lacked the ability to consent.” The incidents were said to have occurred between June 1, 2018, and August 15, 2018.
Following Christianson’s arrest, he later plead guilty to a misdemeanor charge of sexual conduct with a nursing facility resident or vulnerable person and was sentenced to 90 days in jail for that charge. The news source says he already served that. On December 2, 2019, Christianson accepted a plea deal after he plead guilty to first-degree sexual abuse. He has been sentenced to seven years in prison and is required to complete the 120 Day Sex Offender Assessment Unit (SOAU) program.
Despite the sentence Christianson received, the news source says that if he successfully completes the program, he could be released on probation after only serving 120 days of his sentence.
Sexual Abuse is a Common Form of Elder Abuse that Occurs in Nursing Homes, but Many Cases Often Go Unreported
Here’s what you can do if you think your family member who is living in a nursing home in Chicago is being taken advantage of.
“Sexual abuse is a form of elder abuse that frequently goes underreported, under-investigated, and unnoticed” [Source: The National Consumer Voice]. In 2016 alone, Ombudsman programs received and investigated 819 complaints regarding sexual abuse although there is likely more that were never brought to the agency’s attention. Sexual abuse is defined as “non-consensual sexual contact by one person upon another.” It can occur when a worker deceives, manipulates, or forces a resident into sexual contact, says The National Consumer Voice.
Although sexual abuse occurs in many forms, below we have identified some examples to better help you understand when an act would be classified as such.
- Unwanted intimate touching of any kind.
- Rape, oral or anal sex.
- Forcing a resident to get naked.
- Forced observation of masturbation and/or pornography.
- Taking photographs or audio/video recordings of a resident that are sexually explicit and distributing them online or in-person. “This includes pictures or recordings of residents that are not fully clothed while they are being cared for (bathing, dressing, etc.).”
[Source: The National Consumer Voice].
How can I prove my loved one was sexually abused by a nursing home caretaker in Chicago?
If you think a nursing home worker has taken advantage of your loved one, it is best you contact our nursing home abuse law firm in Chicago, IL and document any signs you think point to abuse. Nursing home residents may begin to display physical or psychological signs of abuse and you may notice one or more of the following upon visiting with them:
- They have bruising around their inner thighs, genital areas, or breasts.
- They have genital infections that cannot be explained or have contracted a sexually transmitted disease.
- They complain of vaginal bleeding, pain, or irritation.
- They are having difficulty sitting or walking, tasks they never have trouble with in the past.
- You noticed their clothing is torn, stained, or bloodied.
Unfortunately, not all signs of sexual abuse are obvious. The National Consumer Voice says that “sometimes, there may be no clear physical signs of abuse.” Instead, there may be other signs that indicate something is wrong. These include:
- They display extreme agitation.
- They have become withdrawal from social settings and no longer want to interact with others.
- They experience panic attacks or suffer post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms.
- They have attempted to commit suicide.
- You notice “sudden or unexplained changes in their behavior including fear or avoidance of a person or place, fear of being left alone or the dark, and increased nightmares, and/or disturbed sleep.”
These are only some of the red flags that might be indicators that your elderly relative is being sexually abused. If you have witnessed other signs that aren’t listed above, we recommended you contact our firm so that an investigation can be completed.
If you suspect that a relative of yours is being sexually abused while under the care of nursing home staff in Chicago, don’t wait to contact Dinizulu Law Group, Ltd. to speak with one of our Chicago, IL nursing home abuse attorneys who can help you initiate a case against the facility and get your loved one relocated to a new home that is safer.
You can contact Dinizulu Law Group, Ltd. at:
221 North La Salle Drive, Suite 1100
Chicago, IL 60601
Phone: 1-312-384-1920
Website: www.dinizululawgroup.com
