A 61-year-old intensive care unit nurse in Colorado was arrested last week for allegedly recording himself sexually assaulting multiple patients over the course of several months.
Christopher Peter Lambros was taken into custody on Oct. 25 and charged with three counts of sexual assault involving penetration of a victim unable to consent.
Lambros' Colleague Witnessed Him Taking 'Photos of a Patient's Genitals'
According to a probable cause affidavit from the Grand Junction Police Department, the investigation into Lambros began when a colleague at approximately 8:45 p.m. on July 9 called 911 to report that an employee at St. Mary's Hospital had witnessed Lambros "taking photos of a patient's genitals" that evening.
Police say that the colleague who allegedly witnessed Lambros' conduct told the investigator that she had gone to the intensive care unit to check on a patient and noticed that the lights were off and the curtain was drawn.
When the colleague pulled back the curtain, she saw the patient, unconscious, with her gown pulled up, exposing her breasts, and the bed sheet was pulled down, exposing the patient's genitals, according to the affidavit.
"[The witness] said she saw a nurse, who she knew as Chris Lambros, with his head on the patient's stomach, with his face toward the patient's feet, with what she believed [was] his right arm extended, holding what she was sure was an unknown make/model cell phone in a black case, in a position as if he was taking a 'selfie' picture," the affidavit said.
The witness allegedly said that when Lambros saw her, he dropped his phone on the patient's bed and covered her back up with the gown before leaving. The witness then reported the encounter to her supervisor.
Police Found Videos of Lambros Sexually Assaulting Other Patients on His Phone
The officer then seized Lambros' phone but the nurse refused to provide investigators with the pin to unlock the phone. However, investigators were able to access it after obtaining a search warrant.
A digital forensic analysis of the phone allegedly revealed "photographs and videos of Lambros posing with a number of victims who were unconscious, in the hospital setting" as well as Lambros "photographing himself sucking on victims' breasts and digitally penetrating victims," the affidavit states. The data also allegedly showed that 168 photos and videos had been deleted form the device between April 30 and July 9.
In another video from June, Lambros appears to reference the fictional serial killer Dexter Morgan, who kept a collection of blood slides from each of his victims as trophies. "Lambros can be heard whispering to the camera saying 'don't ever get rid of these videos' and 'you need to keep them forever... this is your Dexter collection,'" the affidavit notes.
Videos from June 25 and July 9, the day his colleague reported him, also allegedly showed Lambros sucking on the breasts of unconscious patients.
Hospital Issues Statement
St. Mary's fired Lambros immediately after the arrest and said in a statement that it had put him on administrative leave as soon as it received a "reported concern." The hospital said it contacted police and removed Lambros' access to its facility and patients immediately after the report.
In its statement, St. Mary's President Bryan Moore described the allegations of Lambros' actions as "reprehensible," and going against "everything we believe and value."
"We are doing everything possible to ensure our patients continue to feel safe and respected while receiving care at St Mary's Medical Center," Moore said. The hospital said it has cooperated with the investigation since first reporting Lambros to police in July. He is being held at the Mesa County Jail on $250,000 bond and is due in court Friday
