It's the ultimate violation of trust and privacy-- police say a nurse at a local doctor's office sexually assaulted a patient in his care.
Investigators say the male nurse led the 26-year-old woman into a room where he performed what police call "an inappropriate and unauthorized exam."
32-year-old Bassam Karim was arrested and charged Monday with sexually assaulting the patient at the Inova Urgent Care Center in Vienna.
After further investigation, police charged Karim with sexual battery.
Investigators believe there may be other victims of similar crimes at the hands of Karim. They are hoping that those victims will see Karim's picture, and call police.
"If there are other situations, we'd certainly like to know about them," Vienna Master Police Officer Bill Murray told News 4.
The incident has other patients at Inova Urgent Care Center alarmed.
"It's pretty scary, it's shocking. It's certainly not what you expect," Susan Valinski said.
"You expect a certain respect that a medical professional would have with your body, and it's really a violation," Jacqueline DesBois told News4.
The suspect's brother says Karim has been a nurse for more than a decade, and would never violate his oath to help the sick.
Inova Health System officials say Karim is no longer an employee, and the company is cooperating with the investigation, officials said.
