Three more Iowa nursing assistants arrested for sexual relations with patients

More former nursing assistants from a northeast Iowa care facility have been arrested for allegedly having sexual relationships with patients, according to the Fayette County Sheriff's Office.

Three women were arrested on March 23 after allegedly having relationships with patients at the Prairie View Residential Care facility in Fayette. The facility provides care for people with chronic mental illness, intellectual disabilities or medical conditions.

The women were arrested after the Fayette County Sheriff's Office charged two former nursing assistants from the facility with sexual exploitation by a counselor, therapist or school employee on March 5.

Megan Marie Penney, 26, of Clermont and Paige Lynn Johanningmeier, 23, of Elgin were arrested after allegedly sneaking patients out, harboring them and having sexual relations with them, according to criminal complaints.

Through further investigation by the sheriff's office, law enforcement officials learned three more women had been discharged by the Prairie View Residential Care facility in the past after allegedly having sexual relations with patients, according to the sheriff's office.

In 2015, Carolyn Marie Wiedrich, 44, of Sumner, was allegedly having sexual relations with a patient. The next year, Shelby Mariah Sebring, 24, of Hawkeye and Jamie Leah Pagel, 32, of Sumner, also allegedly had sexual relations with patients.

At the time of the crime, the patients were court ordered to the facility for treatment, according to the sheriff's office.

All three women were charged with sexual exploitation by counselor, therapist or school employee. If convicted, they could face five years in prison and be required to register on the sex offender registry.

“These CNAs have violated the trust of not only their employers, but also the families of these patients who put their trust in these individuals to care for their family members,“ said Fayette County Sheriff Marty Fisher.