Montco Nurse Secretly Filmed 8 Nude Female Patients: Police

A male nurse from Abington who worked at a Bucks County dermatology office is accused of secretly filming at least eight female patients receiving skin treatments over the course of three weeks.

James Close, an employee at Penn Medicine Dermatology in Lower Makefield, was arraigned on 43 additional charges Tuesday morning.

Close was originally charged Feb. 13 after a 17-year-old patient noticed she was being videotaped while undressed for a skin treatment. Since then, authorities said they have uncovered 18 videos depicting seven additional victims. The videos, ranging from less than 30 seconds to nearly four minutes each, all showed women in various states of undress at the practice, according to police.

Lower Makefield Township Police 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 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.

Close remains in Bucks County prison after being unable to make bail, which was set at 10 percent of $150,000. His preliminary hearing is scheduled for March 21.