Travel nurse faces Missouri sexual assault charges; Covington police warn of possible Tennessee victims
COVINGTON, Tenn. (WMC) - A travel nurse is behind bars in Missouri on sexual assault, rape, and sodomy charges, and his ties to West Tennessee have prompted Covington police to warn of possible victims in the area.
James Todd is being held without bond in Phelps County, Mo., after he allegedly sexually assaulted a patient in a Missouri emergency room.
The Missouri victim alleges that while she was under the influence, Todd placed an IV and sexually assaulted her. Todd initially denied the claims, but police later found security footage of the alleged acts.
Covington Police Chief Donna Turner said Missouri authorities reached out to her department after identifying Todd’s history in the region.
“They contacted us to see if we had any similar type reports,” Turner said.
Turner confirmed Todd worked in facilities in Covington and surrounding areas.
During the interview, Action News 5’s Imani Williams asked Turner, “Did he work here in Covington, West Tennessee? Do y’all know that?”
Turner said, “He did. And that is why that we are putting this media out. We know that he worked in our facilities in the city of Covington and in the neighboring areas.”
The Tennessee College of Applied Technology confirmed that Todd was a practical nursing instructor approximately 10 years ago.
Action News 5 obtained a photo of Todd at an awards ceremony held by TCAT Covington in 2019.
The school said he left on his own and that no complaints were received during his tenure.
Baptist Tipton, a hospital in Covington, did not respond to a request for comment on his possible employment history at its location.
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