Boston hospital worker charged with raping patient at Back Bay Health Center
By WCVB Staff
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BOSTON (WCVB) — A 39-year-old Boston medical worker is charged with rape and assault and battery after being accused by a patient of conducting an additional medical examination.
Damien Knighton pleaded not guilty during arraignment in Roxbury District Court on Thursday.
The victim, a male, told Boston police he was sexually assaulted by a staff member around 3 p.m. on Wednesday at the MGH Back Bay Health Care Center off Commonwealth Avenue.
The victim told police he was seen by his doctor for a follow-up examination involving a previous injury to his left shoulder and right leg. The victim said his doctor told him to have lab work done.
According to the police report, the victim was then approached by a medical staff member identified as Knighton and told that the doctor ordered an additional examination.
The victim was brought into an examination room, where he said Knighton asked him to remove his jacket and shirt to check his skin. The victim stated that the suspect then told him he needed to examine his penis and testicles.
The victim said Knighton then asked him to kneel on the examination table, and inserted a finger into his rectum, before being asked to turn around and sit on the examination table, where he inserted a finger into the victim’s rectum for a second time.
According to the police report, the victim then got dressed and went to the front desk to ask staff if the examination that Knighton allegedly conducted was ordered by the doctor.
The victim told staff that he felt that he had been sexually assaulted and wanted to report it.
Police were called to the hospital and Knighton arrested and charged with two counts of rape and indecent assault and battery.
“We have been made aware that an employee at MGH Back Bay Healthcare Center was arrested in connection with a criminal complaint in the workplace.
“We take these allegations very seriously and are fully cooperating with Boston Police,” MGH Back Bay Healthcare Center said in a written statement. “The individual has been placed on administrative leave pending an investigation into the incident.”
Knighton was ordered held on $5,000 bail and ordered to have no contact with the victim and no unsupervised access to patients, the Suffolk DA’s office said.
Knighton was scheduled to return to court February 23 for a probable cause hearing.
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