WEST YORK (WPMT)-A York County man who was employed as in-home nurse caring for two physically and mentally impaired girls is accused of kissing the girls on the lips and touching himself inappropriately as he stood near their cribs, according to the criminal complaint and documents filed in court.
Steve A. Patterson, 42, of York is charged with two counts of open lewdness, two counts of unlawful contact with a minor and two counts of disorderly conduct. He was arraigned Friday and taken to York County Prison in lieu of $5,000 bail.
Patterson worked for Home to Stay, based in Harrisburg. Home to Stay specializes is a home health care agency serving children and elderly patient in Adams, Cumberland, Dauphin, Franklin, Perry, Lancaster, Lebanon, and York counties, according to the company website. The group hires registered nurses, licensed practical nurses and home health aides.
West York Police said they learned of the alleged incident on Feb. 9. The girl’s non-biological father told police he was awoken after hearing moaning coming from downstairs, according to court documents. When he went to investigate– he told police he saw Patterson with his hand inside his scrubs and appeared to be touching himself near both his daughter’s cribs. When he asked what Patterson was doing, Patterson removed his hand from his crotch and put his hands behind his head and said he was doing stomach crunches, court document state. The girl’s father told police that he could clearly see that Patterson had an erection.
During an interview with police–the girl’s father also said he had been made aware that Patterson had been kissing his daughter’s on the lips. Both girls are mentally handicapped, and are on breathing and feeding machines. A sexual assault forensic exam for both girls was conducted on Feb. 11, according to court documents. So far, no word on the results of the tests.
In an interview with police, Patterson told them he wanted to “clear” his name. Patterson denied that he ever had his hands inside his scrubs, court document state. He said he had been doing pushups and situps to get ready for an upcoming PT test.
When officers asked Patterson as to why the girl’s father would say he had been touching himself near his daughters– Patterson told them that he had intervened during a previous argument between the man and his girlfriend. He continued to deny touching himself, and said that he was doing exercises, according to court documents.
Patterson initially told investigators that he only kissed the girls on their foreheads. He then admitted to kissing the girls on their lips on several occasions. Patterson said that it was part of his training and his job to be kissing the girls on lips, according to the criminal complaint.
Officers contacted one of Patterson’s co-workers who denied that kissing the girls on the lips was part of their training, job duties or therapy, court records state.
A preliminary hearing is scheduled for March 10.