An ambulance worker sexually assaulted a teen girl while she was on her way to a Los Angeles hospital last week, authorities in California alleged.
Jason Dean Anderson, 22, of Wildomar, was arrested Friday and charged with felony sexual penetration with bodily injury on a minor over 14, according to records from Riverside County Superior Court.
Anderson was working for American Medical Response and "on-duty in the back of an ambulance” when he is alleged to have assaulted the underaged patient, the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department said in a statement.
“The investigation revealed the suspect … sexually assaulted and solicited sexual acts from the teenage patient during a medical transport. Mr. Anderson was booked into the Cois Byrd Detention Center for sexual assault related charges with a minor.”
Anderson and his relatives could not be reached for comment Wednesday. It was unclear whether he had retained an attorney.
American Medical Response said it reported the matter to the sheriff's department following an internal investigation.
"The employee in question was placed on administrative leave during the course of our internal investigation and has not worked since the day the alleged incident took place," the company said in a statement. "AMR will cooperate fully during the course of the Riverside Sheriff’s investigation."
The teen’s attorney, Dan Gilleon, said his client is a 16-year-old girl who was transported from her school to a nearby Temecula-area hospital. It was determined she was having a mental crisis, and she was later taken by ambulance to a hospital in Los Angeles.
She was assaulted in the back of the ambulance while a male driver was behind the wheel, Gilleon said.
The girl’s legs were restrained during the ride, Gilleon said.
“He’s totally taking advantage of her vulnerabilities,” he said. “This is the ultimate power disparity.”
Anderson allegedly told the teen he’s done this before, Gilleon said.
“He told her in the ambulance, I do this all the time, bragging with her.”
The sheriff’s department said there may be additional victims.
According to court records, Anderson was released on $75,000 bond.
NBC Los Angeles spoke to the teen, who said, “He asked my name and age. He asked me if I’m sexually active."
"I said, ‘No.’ What really concerned me was he kept pressing that subject," she said
The teenager said the ambulance worker then assaulted her while she froze in fear.
“He told me there was other young women that he did stuff with —and that he had a new girl every week,” she said, per NBC Los Angeles.
