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A former male prison nurse who was convicted of sexually assaulting female inmates was sentenced to 30 years in prison, the United States Attorney's Office District of Oregon announced in a press release on Tuesday (October 17).
Tony Daniel Klein, 39, of Clackamas County, Oregon, was found guilty of "17 counts of depriving his victims of their constitutional right not to be subjected to cruel and unusual punishment by sexual assault and four counts of perjury."
“Today’s sentence sends a clear message that using a position of authority to prey on individuals in custody will never be tolerated by the Department of Justice. Holding Tony Klein accountable for his crimes would not have been possible without the courage and resolve of the women he abused and the dedication of our partners at the FBI and Civil Rights Division,” said Natalie Wight, U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon, in the press release.
Khan reportedly made up reasons to get alone with some of his victims and assaulted others during medical appointments, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.
"The defendant preyed on his victims, knowing that they would not dare report his crimes, because they would not be believed," prosecutors wrote in a sentencing memorandum.
Seventeen of the victims testified against Klein during his trial with some claiming he forced them to have sex and others fearing that they would've faced disciplinary action had they refused his advances, the Associated Press had previously reported at the time of his conviction in July. Khan's attorneys continued to claim that he was wrongfully convicted and plan to appeal.