Former Bucks County Nurse Admits Secretly Filming Patients Nude

A 45-year-old nurse who worked at a Bucks County dermatology practice has admitted to secretly videotaping eight female patients. The Intelligencer reports James Close, an Abington resident who worked at Penn Medicine Dermatology in Lower Makefield's Floral Vale professional complex, made a court appearance Friday during which he pleaded guilty.

Close was charged in February after a 17-year-old patient noticed she was being videotaped while undressed for a skin treatment. He was then charged with 43 additional counts involving the original victim and seven others.

Close's sentencing has been deferred so a sex offender evaluation can be done, The Intelligencer reported. He faces "significant" jail time, the publication said.

The investigation into Close began on Feb. 13 around noon, when a juvenile reported being filmed at the practice.

The victim told authorities that Close was her technician that day when she went for her regular skin treatment. The victim was undressed in the treatment booth when she noticed an iPhone on the ground, lying at her feet, according to an affidavit of probable cause.

The phone's screen indicated it had been recording her for 25 seconds and she could see "her full nude reflection" on the screen, the affidavit said. She turned the phone over to staff at the facility upon noticing it at her feet and police were notified.

Authorities then obtained a search warrant for Close's phone, which revealed 18 videos of seven additional victims who were undressed while receiving light treatments at the practice, the affidavit said.

In most of the videos Close's voice is audible, the affidavit said. In many of the videos, you can see his face as well as various parts of women's bodies. All of the videos were made without consent, authorities said.