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Miami Herald

Nurse forces 16-year-old to perform sex acts at mental health clinic, FL cops say

A nurse accused of singling out a 16-year-old patient at a mental health clinic was caught by a co-worker sexually assaulting her, Florida authorities said. The nurse, identified as 33-year-old Fernando Ortiz Marrero, is now charged with sexual battery on a child 12-18 by a person with custodial authority, sexual misconduct by a psychotherapist, unlawful sexual activity with certain minors, and three counts of lewd and lascivious touching of certain minors. McClatchy News reached out to University Behavioral Center for comment July 17 but did not immediately receive a response. The 16-year-old girl was admitted to the Orlando clinic under Florida's Baker Act law, which allows for the involuntary hospitalization of individuals deemed at risk of harming themselves or others. On June 27, the morning after the girl arrived, Ortiz Marrero sat down next to her and started talking to her, then later at the clinic's gym, he started flirting with her, according to an arrest affidavit from the Orange County Sheriff's Office. The patient said while she was at the gym, she had to use her bathroom, which was in her room, and Ortiz Marrero escorted her, deputies said. When they got to her room, he instructed her to go into the bathroom and take her clothes off, according to investigators. Then she said the nurse followed her inside and touched her inappropriately before telling her they should go back to the gym, deputies said. The teen recounted later that day she got into a fight, causing the clinic to go on lockdown and sending everyone to their rooms, according to the report. She told investigators that during this time, Ortiz Marrero came into her room and touched her inappropriately again, so she told him she was on her period, deputies said. The next day, the girl said Ortiz Marrero 'forcefully kissed her' and molested her on several occasions in her bedroom, deputies said. Throughout the day she said he gave her signals indicating he wanted to go back to her room, but one time when she got up to go with him, he led her to another empty bedroom, deputies said after viewing surveillance footage. The footage showed Ortiz Marrero leaving her in the room by herself, then another hospital staff member found her in there and spoke to her before leaving, deputies said. Ortiz Marrero returned and entered the room with her, according to investigators. The girl said Ortiz Marrero forced her to perform sex acts in the bathroom, and she told him she wasn't on birth control to try to deter him, deputies said. He eventually stopped when he heard someone coming, and he was pulling up his pants when the staff member from earlier walked in, according to investigators. Ortiz Marrero walked out, and his co-worker pulled him into the laundry room and said, 'Please tell me I did not see what I just saw,' according to the affidavit. The staff member told deputies that Ortiz Marrero bowed his head and said he knew it was wrong. But Ortiz Marrero didn't go straight to their supervisor afterward, so the co-worker did, deputies said. Two other 16-year-old patients at the facility told investigators they saw how Ortiz Marrero was acting toward their friend, and they encouraged her to report him after she told them he forced her to perform sex acts, according to the affidavit. Records show Ortiz Marrero was booked into the Orange County jail July 15.