A former employee of Stanford Medicine Surgery Center in Redwood City, Calif., pleaded no contest May 16 to charges of sexually battering male patients while they were under anesthesia, according to Mercury News.
Robert Lastinger, 55, was arrested in April 2015 on suspicion of inappropriately touching patients under his care while he worked as an operating room technician at the outpatient surgery center.
Stanford nurses reported witnessing Mr. Lastinger touching four male patients' genitals during their recovery period after surgery. Hospital administration notified police of the alleged behavior on April 2, 2015, and put Mr. Lastinger on administrative leave. He had been an employee of Stanford Medicine Surgery Center since 2009, according to the report.
Mr. Lastinger pleaded no contest Monday to two counts of felony sexual battery on the condition of no state prison term and up to one year in county jail, according to the San Mateo County District Attorney's office, Mercury News reported.
A no-contest plea has the same effect as a conviction, according to the report.
Mr. Lastinger's sentencing will take place June 29.