A nurse practitioner at a private Iowa hospital succumbed to an overdose of drugs and was later discovered to have sexually assaulted at least nine female patients after administering them with sedatives. Hospital administrators and law enforcement officials confirmed this information following the incident.
The Ottumwa Courier newspaper reported on Wednesday that the attacks at the Ottumwa Regional Health Center were discovered during investigations into the death of Devin Michael Caraccio, 27, of Centerville, who worked at the hospital.
Police said the autopsy report concluded that Caraccio died of an accidental overdose in hospital on October 15, 2022.
On Tuesday, Ottumwa police and a hospital spokeswoman released a statement revealing that an investigation into Carraccio’s death uncovered explicit video recordings and photos on his personal cell phone which demonstrated he had sexually assaulted patients between 2021 and 2022.
According to Ottumwa Police Lieutenant Jason Bell, five of the nine victims have been identified; however, investigators are continuing their efforts to identify the remaining individuals.
The assaults took place while patients were sedated or unconscious, and police believe Caraccio was acting alone.
We are appalled and horrified by Caraccio’s behavior, expressed Kara Close, the hospital’s Director of Human Resources. Our deepest sympathies go out to all those who were affected by these unpardonable acts.
She added that the hospital has made many changes to internal controls and security procedures, and will work to ensure a safe environment for patients, service providers and employees.
“The actions of one person do not reflect the care and compassion of our employees. We are committed to supporting and developing the critical work they do on behalf of this community and patients every day.”
