By Philip Sean Curran, Staff Writer
A former emergency room technician at University Hospital of Princeton at Plainsboro was indicted on charges that he had sexually assaulted a female patient and forced another female patient to touch his genitals last year.
Edher Osorio of Princeton faces up to 10 years in prison on second-degree sexual assault of a 36-year-old woman on June 26 “using physical force.” The three-count indictment, handed up by a Middlesex County grand jury Feb.20, also charged him with fourth-degree criminal sexual contact for the same incident.
As for the second offense on Nov.23, he was charged with fourth-degree criminal sexual contact in that he allegedly put a 60-year-old woman’s hand on his private parts, the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office has said.
After his arrest Nov.24, the Prosecutor’s Office said the first alleged victim had reported what happened, initially raising questions why Mr. Osorio was allowed to continue working at the hospital on Route 1.
But Princeton HealthCare System responded by saying that a “thorough investigation” by the Prosecutor’s Office sex crimes unit and Plainsboro Police ended with him not being charged with a crime. He was allowed to return to work after the investigation was over, the hospital has said.
Mr. Osorio, who has no other criminal record, had passed a criminal background check prior to his being hired, the hospital has said. He is no longer employed at the hospital, Princeton HealthCare System said Thursday.
Mr. Osorio, 30, was in state Superior Court in New Brunswick for a pre-arraignment conference Wednesday. Accompanied by a woman, he spent part of the morning applying for a public defender and filling out other paperwork. He has to appear before Judge Diane Pincus March 27 for his formal arraignment.
He declined to comment inside the courthouse.
Jim O’Neill, a spokesman for the Prosecutor’s Office, had no other details Wednesday to release about the case.

