HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, FL. – In July 2021, a registered nurse working at Northside Hospital in St. Petersburg was arrested and charged with two counts of sexual battery, as well as lewd and lascivious molestation against a minor child between the ages of 12 to 15.
Andrew R. Thomas, 34, of Riverview was licensed as a registered nurse through the Florida Board of Nursing in February 2021.
According to a lawsuit filed by his live-in girlfriend, Thomas “sent a text to the plaintiff admitting he had committed a sexual battery on Plaintiff Doe (the Plaintiff’s minor child) wanting to impregnate her and describing his thoughts while performing the act.”
The lawsuit also states, “The Defendant told Plaintiff Doe that if she did not do as he directed, she should kill herself.”
The lawsuit also alleges that Thomas is a carrier of a sexually transmitted disease.
If found guilty as charged, Thomas could serve life in prison as a custodial figure in the child’s life.
The Plaintiff also filed a domestic violence restraining order in August stating Thomas suffers from a personality disorder and has been known to sometimes stop taking his medications and apparently, suffers potential repercussions if his prescriptions are changed.
The Free Press could not reach an authority at The Florida Board of Nursing for comment, but preliminary research indicates that mental illnesses do not necessarily prohibit people from becoming licensed nurses.
However, no official confirmation of licensing policies could be made.
Contact was made with the Plaintiff’s attorney, Louis Lazaro of the Curry Law Group in Brandon but he stated, “I cannot comment on the case at this time.”
Thomas attempted to force the sale of his equally-shared home with Schwartz in October 2021 through the courts. However, Schwartz filed a Motion to temporarily stay the proceedings, indicating that Thomas was still incarcerated as of December 17, 2021, awaiting trial, and had no other known assets to financially compensate for his alleged criminal acts.
In 2019, in a separate move, Thomas filed a stalking complaint against a female friend he alleged was harassing him and the plaintiff.
He stated in his complaint that she had him “falsely” held under the Baker Act and later threatened to file a complaint against him with The Florida Board of Nursing. Thomas claimed he feared for his life and his job.
Thomas is currently being held in the Hillsborough County Jail on a $250,000 bond.
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