Ohio man accused of fondling female patient at nursing home

CINCINNATI (AP) — A man has been accused of fondling a physically disabled female patient at a suburban Cincinnati nursing care facility.

Alvin Meyer, 63, of Cincinnati, was charged Sunday with gross sexual imposition by force, according to Hamilton County court records.

The allegation was made Sunday by the patient at the Heartland of Mt. Airy facility in Springfield Township, which has about 105 patients. A municipal judge set Meyer’s bond at $15,000 Monday and said he could be released with an electronic monitoring ankle bracelet, defense attorney Darrin Nye said.

Nursing home spokeswoman Julie Beckert said the alleged fondling happened in the patient’s room and that the patient was able to immediately tell staff what happened.

The “isolated incident” happened between the resident and a visitor, said ManorCare Health Services of Toledo, which owns the facility. ManorCare said policies and procedures in place to protect residents, including training and in-service of staff.

“Our staff took immediate action to safeguard the resident and contact proper authorities,” the company said in a statement. “We followed proper procedures following this incident which included escorting the visitor out of the center, investigating the incident and notifying the department of public health and the police.”

Meyer’s address is listed on the same street as the home, about a mile-and-a-half away.

Nye said Monday that he would not comment on the case because it is ongoing.

He said a grand jury likely will consider the fourth-degree felony charge at the end of January.