GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. — Editor's note: This story includes descriptions of sexual assault and could be disturbing to some readers.
A nurse who was arrested last week in Grand Junction is accused of taking photos and videos of himself assaulting unconscious patients at St. Mary's Medical Center.
Christopher Lambros, 61, was arrested Oct. 25 and is charged with three counts of sexual assault after a months-long investigation into allegations that he was sexually assaulting patients while working as a nurse at the hospital, according to Grand Junction Police.
SCL Health, which owns St. Mary's, said in a statement that it terminated Lambros' employment on the same day he was arrested. Before that, Lambros was on administrative leave with no access to the hospital or patients. The hospital said it is fully cooperating with the Grand Junction Police Department and the Mesa County District Attorney's Office in its investigation.
"What this former nurse is accused of is reprehensible and goes against everything we believe and value at St. Mary's Medical Center," said Bryan Johnson, the hospital's president, in a statement. "Patients put their trust in us and should feel safe in our care. We are working closely with law enforcement to protect our patients from those who intend to cause harm. We are doing everything possible to ensure our patients continue to feel safe and respected while receiving care."
According to the arrest affidavit, on July 9, a witness told police that they caught Lambros with an unconscious female patient in a dark room with the curtains drawn. The patient was naked with the sheets down, and Lambros appeared to be taking a selfie with her.
When a Grand Junction Police officer later confronted Lambros at his home, Lambros said he was giving a patient an injection for blood clots and denied taking any photos. A search of his phone didn't turn up any photos, but the officer seized the phone for further investigation, the affidavit says.
Search warrants granting access to the phone's information found that 168 photos and videos were deleted between April 30 and July 9. Some videos from April, June and July showed Lambros sexually assaulting at least three female patients.
Lambros was heard saying in one of the videos, "Don't ever get rid of these videos," and "You need to keep them forever ... this is your Dexter collection," according to the affidavit.
Grand Junction Police investigators were working with St. Mary's Medical Center in an effort to identify the victims, the affidavit says.
As of the writing of this article, Lambros has an active license as a registered nurse in the state of Colorado with no discipline or board actions on file. The license was originally issued on June 12, 2012, according to records.
SUGGESTED VIDEOS: Investigations & Crime
