A former medical assistant at a Florida memory care community has been arrested for allegedly secretly recording two residents having consensual sexual relations in a private room and then posting the video to the social media app Snapchat.
The woman’s former employer, Bristol Court Assisted Living Facility in St. Petersburg, FL, said in a statement to McKnight’s Senior Living that it is “troubled” by her alleged actions and continues to work with authorities in their investigation. The statement was provided by Administrator David G. Gery.
Alexis Williams, 20, was working at the community on Aug. 1 when she allegedly recorded an 81-year-old female resident and a 59-year-old male resident without their knowledge, according to the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office.
An unidentified person saw the video, which authorities described as “sexually explicit,” and contacted the senior living community to inform the staff, the sheriff’s office said. Staff members subsequently helped detectives identify Williams as the suspect, according to authorities.
“We have a zero tolerance policy on this issue,” Bristol Court said in its statement. “Our immediate termination of staff and our quick reporting to the proper agencies and law enforcement allowed for the thorough investigation to begin, timely and effectively leading to an arrest.”
Detectives interviewed Williams March 22, and she admitted to the allegations, the sheriff’s office said. She was arrested the same day and faces one count of video voyeurism and one count of video voyeurism dissemination.
“As providers, we must always guard against all threats to our residents. They are our primary concern,” Bristol Court said. “At all times, we strive to have the best staff caring for residents through strong hiring and training procedures, reference checks and background verification. Policies which prohibit the use of cellphone cameras and media devices are a must in this age of rampant misuse of social media. Unfortunately, even with all policies in place, when someone wants to commit an egregious act, they will.”
Bristol Court is licensed for 115 units, according to the Florida Agency for Health Care Administration. Better Senior Living Consulting LLC has been managing the community since July 1, 2015, under a master lease agreement with CareTrust REIT, which purchased Bristol Court for $8.4 million that year, according to the company’s website. Better Senior Living Consulting also operates several other senior living and memory care communities in Florida.
