Cedar Hill, MO - Big River Nursing and Rehab Patient Ricky Hacker Charged with Sexual Assault of Fellow Patient

Cedar Hill Nursing Home Patient Charged with Sexual Assault

A patient at Big River Nursing and Rehab in Cedar Hill has been charged with the sexual assault of an 88-year-old female resident of the nursing facility. According to investigators, the suspect was also a known sex offender.

68-year-old Ricky Hacker was admitted to the facility on November 27 for treatment of a foot injury. On November 28, deputies were called to the nursing home on a report of the sexual assault of an elderly dementia patient.

Sgt. Matt Moore of the Jefferson County Sheriff Department told the press that staff members entered the victim's room and found Hacker performing or attempting to perform sexual acts on the victim.

According to a report by Fox 2 St. Louis, staff at the facility regularly check sex offenders' lists and found Hacker on the federal list when he was admitted to the facility. Employees were made aware of this fact and told to keep close watch of Hacker.

Justice for Nursing Home Abuse Victims and Their Families

Attorney contributor Reed Martens represents survivors of sexual violence as a civil attorney. We've asked to add some input regarding the legal options available to nursing home abuse victims and their families:

The safety of guests needs to be the top priority for any nursing home. When our elderly loved ones need to move to an assisted living facility or nursing home, we all deserve the comfort of knowing that they will finish their lives in a safe and comfortable environment. But unfortunately, cases of sexual, physical, and emotional abuse and neglect and have been reported in nursing homes throughout the country. In many cases, these facilities are negligent for failing to keep their residents and patients safe.

Some common forms of negligence in cases of nursing home abuse include:

• Failing to run a background check and hiring an employee with a history of sexual misconduct
• Failing to report complaints of sexual misconduct or abuse to law enforcement
• Inadequate supervision of residents

When negligence is involved, the victims and their families may have grounds for a lawsuit against the facility. If you or a loved one is a survivor of nursing home sexual abuse, you can learn more about your family's legal options by speaking to an experienced sex abuse survivors attorney.