Special to the Record
A Boston man is being held on $50,000 bail after being charged with committing an indecent assault and battery during a medical exam last week at MGH Chelsea. Christopher Fisher, 58, of Boston, was charged in Chelsea District Court Monday with two counts of indecent exposure, two counts of open and gross lewdness, assault, indecent assault and battery on a person over 14, and possession of a class E substance. Judge Matthew Machera ordered Fisher held on $50,000 with GPS monitoring if released. Fisher was also ordered to stay away from Mass General Hospital and undergo a mental health evaluation. Fisher is due back in court on Oct. 31 for a pre-trial hearing. Fisher is a registered level 3 sex offender with a 19-page board of probation record including multiple convictions for open and gross lewdness and lascivious behavior, according to the Suffolk County District Attorney’s office. On Oct. 4, Chelsea police were notified by Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) police of a sexual assault that occurred at the MGH Healthcare Center located on Everett Avenue.
A patient, later identified as Fisher, had requested to be seen by a female doctor. Fisher told the doctor he was concerned about a rash on and around his genitals and bleeding from possible hemorrhoids. After an initial assessment, the doctor asked Fisher to change into a hospital gown for further examination. The doctor proceeded with a medical assistant present, per MGH policy regarding such exams. The doctor told Fisher she did not observe any rashes and noticed Fisher becoming aroused, according to a release from the Suffolk D.A.’s office. Fisher then asked the doctor to further examine his genitals due to additional concerns. During this exam, Fisher insisted he suffered from a rash while grabbing his erect penis and saying “Look! Look at it! There is something there,” according to the district attorney’s office.l The doctor observed Fisher moving his hand in an up and down motion, turning his body toward her, and attempting to ejaculate on her. The doctor lifted the hospital gown up as a barrier between her and Fisher. Police met with the doctor and assistant. The assistant corroborated the doctor’s statements and provided officers with a bag containing the hospital gown and seat covering bearing Fisher’s bodily fluids. During a search, police recovered a black plastic bag tucked into Fisher’s sock, filled with 17.5 white oval pills, according to the district attorney’s office.
“Incidents like this illustrate how unpredictable a call or interaction can be for health care workers and first responders,” said Suffolk County District Attorney Kevin Hayden. “I am very sorry for what these women witnessed while they were simply trying to do their jobs.” The victims of any crime, including domestic or sexual violence, should call 911 in an emergency.
SafeLink, a statewide domestic violence hotline, can be reached at (877) 785-2020. SafeLink is answered by trained advocates 24/7 in English, Spanish and Portuguese, as well as TTY at (877) 521-2601. It also has the capacity to provide multilingual translation in more than 140 languages. RAINN, the nation’s largest anti-sexual violence organization in partnership with more than 1,000 local sexual assault service providers across the country, can be reached at (800) 656-4673. Help is also available for members of the LGBTQ+ community experiencing domestic or intimate partner violence through The Network/La Red by calling 617-742-4911 or 800-832-1901.