Crime & Safety

Police: Calls Pouring in for Nurse Practitioner Accused of Sexual Assault

The case is still an active one, police said.

More than 20 people have contacted detectives regarding an attempted sexual assault case against a nurse practitioner and his co-worker girlfriend who had a practice on Hartford Turnpike in Vernon, a police spokesman said on Monday.   

The case is still open and more charges are possible, police spokesman Lt. William Meier said. 

Because of that, Meier would not comment on specific information detectives have received. He did say the investigation into the suspects has been an active one. 

"Right now, we're trying to determine what information is pertinent," Meier said.  

On Oct. 28, Vernon Police arrested Jay T. Mohler-Avery, 44, and Candace Merriam, 46, both of 25 Mountain St., Hartford. 

They were charged with crimes related to an effort to engage an adult patient and an 18-month-old child in sexual contact, police said.

Meier said Vernon Police began their investigation during mid-October, after a patient of Mohler-Avery’s came to police to report that he had tried to recruit her and her four young children for sex. 

Mohler-Avery is a state-licensed nurse practitioner who owned and operated a practice, CT Family Care LLC, at the Vernon Professional Building, 281 Hartford Turnpike. The identity of the patient who complained and her family will not be disclosed pursuant to state law, which protects their identity.

Vernon detectives launched an investigation into Mohler-Avery’s alleged criminal conduct and medical practice and during the investigation, it was learned that Merriam worked for Mohler-Avery as his personal assistant at his medical practice and was involved in his criminal activity, Meier said.

Mohler-Avery allegedly sought to arrange for a patient to become his “sex slave” and also have her 18 month old child participate in the sex acts, police said.

On the night of his arrest, Mohler-Avery allegedly arranged for the patient and the 18-month-old child victim to be picked up in Vernon by Merriam for the purposes of having sex, Meier said. When Merriam arrived in Vernon she was instead met by detectives, who arrested her without incident, Meier said.

As Merriam was arrested in Vernon, Vernon detectives, with assistance from Hartford police, went to Mohler-Avery’s residence in Hartford where they arrested him without incident, Meier said.

Vernon police also executed two simultaneous search warrants at Mohler-Avery’s Hartford residence and his Vernon office and as a result, detectives seized numerous pieces of evidence pertaining to the investigation, Meier said. 

During the investigation, Vernon detectives also uncovered possible Medicaid fraud committed by Mohler-Avery, Meier said. 

Vernon police then notified the Chief State’s Attorney’s Office Medicaid Fraud Control Unit, and inspectors from that office are in the midst of their own investigation, Meier said. 

Vernon detectives are also working with investigators from the Connecticut Department of Public Health regarding an administrative investigation into Mohler-Avery, Meier said.

The initial charges against Mohler-Avery are:

• First-degree conspiracy to commit sexual assault.
• Conspiracy to commit risk of injury to a child.
• First-degree attempt to commit sexual assault.
• Attempt to commit sexual assault of a child. 

Anyone with information can contact Vernon Detectives at 860-872-9126 x289.


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