GRAND RAPIDS, Mich — A former nurse who sexually assaulted one of his patients, will not be spending time in jail.
Randy Reynolds was sentenced to 12 months probation, $335 restitution, plus court fees Wednesday after pleading ‘no contest’ to 4th Degree Criminal Sexual Conduct.
FOX 17 first learned of the charges against Reynolds from one of his patients, Amina Gacek, who said Reynolds assaulted her back on January 4th, 2019.
Gacek was present during Reynolds’ sentencing at 17th Circuit Court in Downtown Grand Rapids to read a victim impact statement.
It was a tearful, yet empowering moment for her, telling the Judge and Reynolds:
“You promised to care for those of us who could not care for ourselves, in some of our most compromised and painful moments; and instead, you took advantage of us when we were alone incapacitated and completely vulnerable. “
The charges against Reynolds stem from January, 2019 when Gacek was in the recovery room at Michigan Pain Consultants after being sedated for a back injection.
She told FOX 17 that’s when Reynolds touched her inappropriately; grabbing her breasts two different times during her visit and called her ‘honey.”
According to a LARA investigation, Reynolds was fired from Mercy Health Saint Mary’s in 2017 for inappropriate workplace behavior. The report also shows several instances starting in 2018 at Michigan Pain Consultants where patients were uncomfortable with Reynolds’ behavior and at least two instances where he tried to grab patients breasts. One of them was 81 years old at the time.
During her statement, Gacek spoke about the immediate impact of the assault.
She said, “Initially there were nightmares and I couldn’t sleep, fear of people, public places, fear of men, not wanting to date or be touched.”
Reynolds was given the chance to read his own statement in court as well, having to stop several times to regroup.
He said, “Your Honor, I hope that you can see the sorrow and the grief that I have for this whole situation. My grief from his Gacek is sincere and genuine as the words I have shared with you today are from my heart.”
The sentence from Judge Denefeld is one that Gacek feels isn’t quite appropriate for the pain they said Reynolds has caused her family.
“I think just some probation time for what he has done is a small price to pay, to say the least, but I’m not a judge and it is not my call,” she said.
While Gacek’s case is officially over she said LARA’s report shows there are others who Reynolds has hurt.
She said in her victim impact statement, “You’ve been escalating for years. What frightens me though is how many people you may have assaulted while they were still sedated, unconscious and completely unaware that you were preying on them.”
She hopes she can pave the way for any other victims to speak up too, also saying during her statement, “I just hope I that you remember my face and that you know when you chose me, you chose the wrong girl.”
Reynolds has lost his nursing license and will also have to register as a sex offender for 15 years.
