Nurse sneaks into sleeping patient’s room and sexually assaults her, FL cops say

A charge nurse at a Florida hospital groped a patient, then he came back later when she was sleeping and sexually assaulted her, according to investigators.

Anthony Coleman, 30, was arrested May 21 on charges of felony sexual battery, battery and indecent exposure, according to the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office.

He is no longer an employee at HCA Florida Bayonet Point Hospital, according to HCA Healthcare.

“We do not tolerate behavior that jeopardizes the safety and well-being of our patients,” a spokesperson for HCA Healthcare said in an email statement to McClatchy News. “After learning of the alleged incident, we contacted law enforcement. We offer our support to the patient and family and are assisting law enforcement in their investigation.”

Coleman entered the woman’s room May 15 to give her medicine, then he started touching her chest inappropriately while telling her it was a “friendly massage,” deputies wrote in an arrest affidavit.

She told him to stop, then he eventually left when she said she was tired, according to investigators.

The next day, the woman reported she woke up to Coleman sexually assaulting her, deputies said. She yelled and told him to get out, but he reportedly told her, “The best bet is for you to calm down,” deputies wrote in the report.

Detectives believe this was an isolated incident.

The hospital is in Hudson, about a 40-mile drive northwest from downtown Tampa.

This story was originally published May 22, 2025 at 4:35 PM.