Florida Care Worker Faces Felony Charges Over Lewd Twerking Incident
A Florida care worker has been taken into custody following disturbing allegations of wildly inappropriate behaviour towards vulnerable disabled patients under her supervision. Josalynn Janeice Hart, aged 29, was arrested in Panama City on Tuesday after she allegedly engaged in sexually explicit dancing in front of adults receiving care.
Video Evidence Reveals Shocking Conduct
According to authorities, the Panama City Police Department first received a tip concerning possible abuse and exploitation of disabled adults as far back as January 15. Investigators were provided with video evidence showing four women dancing inside the unnamed adult care facility.
Court documents detail that Hart could be seen dancing on a sink and performing twerking movements on a table where at least two disabled patients were seated. Law enforcement officials stated that the patients appeared to be nonverbal and entirely incapable of providing any form of consent for such actions.
Charges and Legal Consequences
Hart has been formally charged with lewd and lascivious exhibition of an elderly or disabled person, which constitutes a third-degree felony under Florida state law. This charge can apply even without direct physical contact, as it includes the simulation of any act involving sexual activity.
She also faces a secondary charge for failure to report abuse and neglect of a vulnerable adult, which is classified as a second-degree misdemeanor. This lesser charge could still result in penalties of up to one year in jail alongside substantial fines.
Following her arrest, a judge released Hart from Bay County Jail on her own recognizance on Wednesday. Her current employment status with the care facility remains unclear, and it is not yet known whether the three other unidentified women seen in the video will face any charges.
Pattern of Similar Incidents
This troubling case is not an isolated incident within the United States care sector. In a strikingly similar event last January in Georgia, another healthcare worker was arrested and charged with exploiting a disabled person after a video surfaced showing her sexually dancing on a patient's head while wearing medical scrubs.
The Panama City Police Department has reiterated that none of the victims in this latest case appeared capable of giving consent, highlighting the profound vulnerability of those entrusted to professional care. The investigation remains ongoing as authorities continue to examine the full extent of the alleged misconduct.
