Police believe a nurse anesthetist may have had inappropriate sexual contact with hundreds of patients in his care.
Paul Patrick Serdula, 47, of Marietta was arrested Wednesday by Cobb County police on three counts of unlawful surveillance and eavesdropping of patients at a dental office.
But it's what investigators found during a search of Serdula's Forest Peak Court home that is really alarming, according to Sgt. Dana Pierce. Electronic recording devices and hundreds of videos were seized from Serdula's home.
Although investigators haven't looked at all of the material yet, police say they have already seen enough to believe Serdula was engaging in criminal activity while patients were under anesthesia, such as sexual battery or fondling.
"We don't yet know the magnitude of the criminal activity he was involved in," Pierce said Friday afternoon.
The investigation began when a woman spotted a video recording device in the bathroom at her dentist office, located in the 600 block of Galleria Parkway. She immediately called 9-1-1, Pierce said.
Serdula, a contracted nurse anesthetist, did not work directly for any dental or medical physician, police said. But he may have been employed at numerous medical facilities. According to the Georgia Secretary of State's Office, Serdula was issued a nursing license on Dec. 16, 1997. Prior to that, Serdula held a nursing license in Florida.
“In no way, shape, or form are we saying that any dental office or medical office had knowledge of his criminal activity," Pierce said.
Now, Cobb County police need the help in identifying those who may have been Serdula's victims, Pierce said. If you have been put under anesthesia recently at a medical office, police suggest contacting the doctor's office to find out who was responsible for administering the anesthesia.
“If that person was 47-year-old Paul Serdula, we want to hear from you," Pierce said.“He got to be held accountable for his criminal activity."
Those who come forward with information will be kept confidential, he said. Anyone with information about Serdula is asked to call Cobb police 770-499-3945.
"The enormity of the amount of victims here is what is disturbing to us," Pierce said.
Serdula remains in jail without bond.
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