Former Prison Nurse Indicted For Sexually Assaulting 12 Female Inmates In Custody

A former correctional officer has been indicted for sexually assaulting a dozen female inmates while working as a nurse in Oregon's only women's prison, authorities said.

Tony Klein, of Clackamas County in Oregon, who served as a corrections nurse at Coffee Creek Correctional Facility (CCCF) in Wilsonville, allegedly assaulted the women from 2016 to 2017. The 37-year-old was accused of subjecting his victims to various forms of sexual assaults, some of which resulted in bodily injuries, the Department of Justice said in a news release.

Klein was charged with 21 counts of depriving the victims of their constitutional right not to be subjected to cruel and unusual punishment by sexually assaulting them, according to the indictment unsealed Monday. In addition to these charges, Klein faces four counts of perjury for giving false testimony in a civil case that alleged misconduct.

Klein, who repeatedly denied the allegations against him during the investigations, pleaded not guilty to the charges Monday.

A year-long investigation into the case revealed that at least 27 women inmates have accused Klein of inappropriate actions and sexual assault during their stay at the facility.

Klein started working in the correctional facility in 2010 and resigned from the job in 2018. He then joined Legacy Health, a nonprofit health system in Portland, as a registered nurse. He is currently on leave.

Although prosecutors demanded Klein be detained, the court ordered him to be released for pretrial. If convicted, Klein would face life in prison.

"DOC [Department of Corrections] has zero-tolerance for sexual violence against the people in our care and allegations will not be swept under the rug or ignored regardless of whether the person accused is no longer employed by our Department," Colette S. Peters, Corrections Department Director, said after the indictment, NBC News reported.

"Today's indictment shows that the voices of women in custody are heard and taken seriously," Peters added.

Between January 2019 and May 2021, 13 lawsuits were filed against Klein and other employees of the correctional facility, out of which two lawsuits were dismissed and the rest were settled, court records showed.