MGH medical assistant charged with indecent assault and battery
BOSTON, June 4, 2024 –A Mass General Hospital medical assistant has been charged with indecent assault and battery after conducting an unauthorized exam on a patient, District Attorney Kevin Hayden announced.
LEONARDO HERNANDEZ, 29, of Jamaica Plain was arraigned Monday in BMC Central on one count of indecent assault and battery on a person over 14. Hernandez was released on personal recognizance and ordered to stay away from the location of offense. He is due back in court July 24 for a pre-trial hearing.
Boston police on April 12 took a report regarding an incident that occurred at Mass General Dermatology. The victim said she had gone to the unit several weeks prior to seek medical attention. When her physician exited the room there was a knock on the door accompanied by a man’s voice. A man then entered the examination room. The victim recognized the man from previous appointments.
The man, later identified as Hernandez, asked the victim if she would like to have a skin examination due to a possible condition on her foot. The victim said if the exam was necessary then she would like to have it. She hadn’t been informed of an additional exam but assumed the doctor had requested it.
Hernandez provided the victim with a hospital gown and left the room closing the door behind him. Hernandez then quickly re-entered the room before the victim had the opportunity to remove her clothes. Hernandez remained in the room as the victim removed her jeans and began examining her.
The victim said Hernandez went down to the floor and started touching her right leg, running the tips of his fingers up her leg. Hernandez then raised her undergarment exposing her buttocks and repeated this on the left side. Hernandez advised the victim he was conducting a normal exam and that he would need to check her abdomen with both hands. Hernandez then requested to see the victim’s breast. The victim declined. Hernandez requested approximately four times to see the victim’s breast before attempting to pull down the victim’s hospital gown. Upon the victim’s repeated refusals Hernandez left the examination room.
The following day, the victim contacted her doctor to ask if she had ordered any follow-up exams. The doctor told the victim that she hadn’t, and that this type of exam is not within Hernandez’s job description.
“I commend this victim for speaking up when she determined that this situation was just not right. All patients are entitled to safe and ethical treatment during their medical appointments. Anyone jeopardizing a patient’s safety or abusing and exceeding their professional responsibilities will be held accountable,” Hayden said.
The victims of any crime, including domestic or sexual violence, should call 911 in an emergency. SafeLink, a statewide DV hotline, can be reached at 877-785-2020. SafeLink is answered by trained advocates 24/7 in English, Spanish and Portuguese, as well as TTY at 877-521-2601. It also has the capacity to provide multilingual translation in more than 140 languages. RAINN, the nation’s largest anti-sexual violence organization in partnership with more than 1,000 local sexual assault service providers across the country, can be reached at 800-656-4673.
Help is also available for members of our LGBTQ+ community experiencing domestic or intimate partner violence through The Network/La Red by calling 617-742-4911 or 800-832-1901.
All charged individuals are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Suffolk County District Attorney Kevin Hayden’s office serves the communities of Boston, Chelsea, Revere, and Winthrop, Mass. The office handles over 20,000 cases a year. More than 160 attorneys in the office practice in nine district and municipal courts, Suffolk Superior Court, the Massachusetts Appeals Court, the Supreme Judicial Court, and the Boston Juvenile Courts. The office employs some 300 people and offers a wide range of services and programs to serve anyone who comes in contact with the criminal justice system. This office is committed to educating the public about the services we provide, our commitment to crime prevention, and our dedication to keeping the residents of Suffolk County safe.
James Borghesani, Chief of Communications