BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) - A former nursing home worker is accused of sexually assaulting an 86-year-old resident of the home where he worked, the attorney general's office says.
James Torkelsen of Cando was arrested Thursday afternoon on a warrant charging him with three counts of sexual assault, a statement from Attorney General Wayne Stenehjem's office said.
Torkelsen was accused of assaulting a resident of the Towner County Living Center in Cando. The center's administrator, Tim Kennedy, said earlier that the abuse was discovered Dec. 4.
Stenehjem's statement said other employees at the nursing home reported it to law enforcement officers.
"There is no indication that other nursing home residents were victimized," Stenehjem's statement said. "The Towner County Living Center administration took appropriate action by suspending the employee and asking for a criminal investigation."
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The Towner County Living Center is a 54-bed nursing home that employs about 80 people.
Stenehjem said Assistant Attorney General Jon Byers has been assigned to prosecute the case, at the request of the Towner County state's attorney. He said Torkelsen's first court appearance is set for Tuesday morning in Cando.
Each of the three counts of sexual assault is a Class C felony carrying a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $5,000 fine, Stenehjem said.
