Nurse accused of being drunk while sexually assaulting patient

CLAYTON COUNTY, Ga. — A nurse at a hospital is accused of being drunk on the job when she sexually assaulted a patient.

Danielle Gates, 29, was arrested and now faces a charge of sexual assault at a hospital or institution. Channel 2's Tom Jones was in a Clayton County courtroom when Gates went before a magistrate judge. She appeared nervous and near tears as the judge read the criminal warrant that alleges she sexually attacked the male patient.

College Park police say Gates worked as a nurse at Anchor Hospital on Yorktowne Drive.

It's a facility that treats adults for emotional, psychiatric and addictive disease issues, its website says. Officers say a patient reported that Gates took him out of a group therapy session and led him to his room. The patient says Gates then grabbed his hands and then became intimate with him.

"You hugged, kissed this person on the neck," Judge Richard Brown said, as he read the warrant.

Police say Gates then touched the patient inappropriately.

Officers say Gates was on the job drunk when all this happened. Police sources say her blood-alcohol level was 0.16. That's double the level before a driver exceeds the legal driving limit.

Police also say they saw proof that part of what the patient described is true. There was video footage of you escorting this patient to his room from session," Brown told Gates.

Detectives say the patient told hospital administrators as soon as the assault ended.

Gates was later arrested. "The court has been advised that you did turn yourself in and the court has taken that into consideration in determining your bond. Which the amount at this time will be $10,000," Judge Brown said.

Channel 2 Action News tried to get a response to the allegations and get the status of Gates' employment but administrators did not return repeated phone calls.

WSBTV