UPDATE: Dec. 10 at 2:20 p.m.
Two more patients have come forward with sexual assault allegations against a nurse technician at Cardinal Hill Rehabilitation Center, according to court documents obtained by LEX 18.
61-year-old Johnnie Sparkman now faces two counts of first-degree rape involving patients who were incapable of consent and physically helpless, court records show.
According to a criminal complaint, one patient recovering in the spinal care area told police that Sparkman sexually assaulted them during their stay at Cardinal Hill from August 2022 to November 2022.
A second complaint details allegations from another patient who was in the spinal recovery area from September 2023 to October 2023. That patient also reported being sexually assaulted by Sparkman during their stay.
The new charges add to previous allegations against the nurse technician at the Lexington rehabilitation facility.
Original Story:
A nurse technician at Cardinal Hill Rehabilitation Center has been charged with first-degree sodomy after he allegedly sexually assaulted a patient recovering from spinal surgery in October, a criminal complaint detailed.
According to the complaint, 61-year-old Johnnie Sparkman was arrested on charges of first-degree sodomy involving a person incapable of consent due to physical helplessness. The incident reportedly occurred on Oct. 23 at the rehabilitation facility in Lexington.
The complaint reported that the victim was transferred to Cardinal Hill on Oct. 22 after undergoing spinal surgery on Oct. 16.
The complaint revealed that Sparkman allegedly sexually assaulted the victim and made inappropriate statements during her time at the facility.
Further, the citation noted that investigators received text messages as evidence in the incident.
Sparkman was arrested and his bond was set at $5,000, the citation detailed.
