More Allegations Surface Against Nurse Accused Of Groping Patients
GREELEY, Colo. (CBS4) - A Northern Colorado nurse was arrested again Friday after new allegations surfaced that he may have groped more of his female patients.
Greeley police arrested Thomas Mark Moore of Eaton Friday on suspicion of four counts of unlawful sexual contact and two counts of attempted sexual contact, both felonies.
Moore is being held without bond at the Weld County Jail. The possible new charges stem from the reports of six additional women, who like two women in Fort Collins and one woman in Scotts Bluff, Nebraska, say Moore inappropriately touched them.
In an affidavit, a Greeley police detective states the women were patients of Moore's at the UCHealth Emergency Room located at 6906 10th Street in Greeley between March 6, 2014 and February 21, 2015.
The women report being on medication and in and out of consciousness when Moore began rubbing their necks, and in some cases, touching their bare chests. Two women told a detective they were able to push Moore away.
Some of the women told police Moore used Facebook to contact them afterwards. According to the affidavit, one woman told police she complained about Moore's actions to the staff at UCHealth and that "the staff didn't take her seriously, so she didn't report what the defendant was doing to the police."
UCHealth didn't respond immediately Monday to questions about whether staff were made aware of complaints at the hospital's Greeley ER.
With the exception of one of the women, they did not report their encounters with Moore until after hearing he was arrested similar charges in Fort Collins last month. One woman went to police in August 2014, a few months after she says Moore touched her, but at the time, did not want to pursue charges.
The Weld County District Attorney's Office has until Wednesday, Jan. 27, to decide whether to formally file charges against Moore. A spokeswoman said Monday the office is reviewing the complaints.
Moore declined CBS4's request to speak with him while in custody.
In addition to the potential new charges in Greeley, and two charges in Fort Collins, Moore is charged with one count of third-degree sexual assault, a Class 1 misdemeanor, for an alleged incident on March 1, 2014 in Scotts Bluff County, Nebraska. Police say Moore has worked at the Regional West Medical Center there.
Moore was due in court in Larimer County on Monday morning on one of the Fort Collins cases. A private attorney present on Moore's behalf told a judge Moore remained at the Weld County Jail and turned Moore's case over to be handled by the public defender's office.
Moore is due back in court on the Fort Collins case on Feb. 8 at 9:30 a.m.
Lauren DiSpirito is CBS4's Northern Newsroom reporter. Follow her on Twitter @CBS4Lauren. Share your story ideas with her here.
