Hospital worker charged with sexual abuse of three people; police say more victims likely yet to be identified
Published 4:37 pm Tuesday, October 25, 2022
An Alabama hospital worker has been charged with sexually abusing at least three people at the hospital and police said additional victims likely exist, but have not yet been identified.
Birmingham police said they first heard reports of a reported sexual assault at Grandview Hospital in September. After an investigation, they arrested Cornell Richards, 39, of Birmingham.
He has been charged with first-degree rape, two counts of first-degree sodomy and two counts of first-degree sexual abuse.
Police did not specify if the victims were patients at the hospital or not, but said at least three victims have been identified. Richards reportedly was employed in a role that allowed him to care for patients, police said.
Richards was being held without bond at the Jefferson County Jail.
“Sadly, we believe there are additional victims out there,” police said in a written statement.
Investigators encourage anyone who may have been victimized by Richards to call Special Victims Unit detectives directly at (205) 297-8413 or know there is an additional resource in the One Place Family Justice Center (One Place) by calling (205) 453-7261.