An indictment has been released by the US Department of Justice accusing a former Oregon Department of Corrections nurse of sexually assaulting a dozen women in jail at the state women’s prison.
Tony Klein, 37, has been charged with 21 counts of sexually abusing inmates at the Coffee Creek Correctional Facility, violating their constitutional right not to be subjected to cruel and unusual punishment, according to the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon.
Klein, of Clackamas County, is accused of committing different forms of sexual assault in 2016 and 2017, including severe sexual abuse and “some resulting in bodily injury,” according to the indictment.
Klein also faces four counts of perjury in connection with a federal complaint alleging sexual assault while working as a nurse at the hospital, according to the attorney’s office.
Klein, through his counsel, pled not guilty to all of the counts during a court hearing on Monday, according to Oregon Public Broadcasting.
According to an investigation aired last week by Oregon Public Broadcasting, at least 27 women have accused Klein of inappropriate behavior and sexual assault.
Klein was granted pretrial release despite prosecutors’ requests for his imprisonment.
If Klein is convicted, he might spend the rest of his life in prison.
Klein was employed by the nonprofit health agency Legacy Health after resigning from Coffee Creek Correctional Facility in 2018, according to Oregon Public Broadcasting.
In a statement to OPR, a Legacy Health representative said, “Legacy Health cannot comment on an ongoing federal investigation.” “Mr. Klein is on sabbatical right now.”
