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SALT LAKE CITY — A former medical worker at Primary Children's Hospital faces charges of sexually abusing a patient.
Court documents say the 11-year-old victim thought the suspect, 22-year-old David Elijah Jensen, was there to check on him medically last week. But the victim said instead, Jensen inappropriately touched him.
According to the victim, Jensen returned to his room on two more occasions.
"In my understanding, the medical tech, he was assisting the nurses and staff," said University of Utah Police Sgt. Garth Smith. "So he would go in and do certain vitals, procedures on different floors."
According to the charging documents Jensen admitted to the abuse. He faces one count of sodomy on a child and one count of aggravated sexual abuse of a child.
He was arrested and booked into the Salt Lake County Jail. He is being held on $500,000 bail.
Residents living in Jensen's neighborhood said that they were very disturbed to hear the allegations against their former neighbor.
"I have four little girls of my own," said neighbor Travis Fullmer. "To be a person that's working with kids and stuff in the medical field, that's scary."
If you believe a crime was committed call university police at 801-585-2677.
Primary Children's Hospital released a statement Friday that said staff and physicians were devastated to hear about the allegation of assault.
"The idea that one of our own employees would harm a patient violates every principle of this hospital, its physicians and staff members, who have devoted their lives to caring for children," it read.
"We are deeply grateful for the courage of those who reported this to us and for the immediate response of law enforcement with whom we are working closely. We remain committed to maintaining a safe, healing environment for all children."
The hospital suspended, then fired Jensen, who started in September 2011 as a part-time volunteer, then later began working for the company full-time.
Contributing: Whitney Evans
