Lehigh County, Pennsylvania - Lehigh Valley Hospital Nurse Anesthetist Robert Kohut Accused of Sexually Assaulting Woman in Hospital Room

Former Lehigh Valley Nurse Anesthetist Charged with Sexual Assault

A former nurse anesthetist at Lehigh Valley Hospital-Muhlenberg has been charged with sexually assaulting a woman in a room at the hospital while he was working. 54-year-old Robert Kohut is charged with felony counts of sexual assault and aggravated indecent assault and a misdemeanor count of indecent assault.

The woman contacted Bethlehem police on May 23 to report that she had been sexually assaulted in a room at the hospital on May 13. This led to an investigation and charges against Kohut.

The alleged victim was not a patient at the time of the assault. Authorities have not disclosed why she was at the hospital.

Lehigh County District Attorney Jim Martin announced the charges on Thursday, September 26.

Kohut has been fired from the hospital. He was released on $25,000 unsecured bail and has a court date scheduled for October 16.

Legal Rights for Victims of Sexual Assault by Nurses and Other Hospital Employees

Former sex crimes prosecutor Guy D'Andrea is a  former sex crimes prosecutor who now represent victims in civil lawsuits. We’ve asked Brian to add some information on the legal options available to those who have been sexually assaulted by hospital employees:

Nurses and other healthcare workers are highly trusted professionals. However, this field also has had widespread issues with sexual assaults of patients and other hospital visitors committed by employees. When someone is sexually assaulted at a hospital by an employee, that person should be aware of their legal rights.

In many of these cases, the assault may have been preventable if not for negligence by the hospital. For example, the hospital could be considered negligent if there had been previous sexual misconduct complaints against the accused employee, but that employee was allowed to continue working at the hospital. In cases involving negligence, the victim may have grounds for a lawsuit.

If you or a loved one has been sexually assaulted at a hospital, you can learn more about your legal options by speaking with one of our experienced hospital sexual assault victim lawyers.

Sources:

https://www.mcall.com/news/breaking/mc-nws-lehigh-valley-hospital-nurse-charged-with-sexual-assault-20190926-4yr5rataqraf7c7ng3uf5ldtyy-story.html

https://wnep.com/2019/09/26/nurse-charged-with-sexually-assaulting-woman/