Former Boston Children’s Hospital nurse charged in teen sexual assaults
Senior Digital Editor/Producer, WCVB.com
BOSTON —
A Hopedale, Massachusetts, man and former Boston Children’s Hospital nurse will be arraigned next week after being accused of sexually assaulting two teenage boys in his care, Suffolk District Attorney Kevin Hayden said Friday.
Investigators believe there may be more victims.
John Tam, 33, was indicted by a grand jury earlier this month on four counts of indecent assault and battery on a person 14 years or older and four counts of indecent assault and battery on a patient by a healthcare provider. He will be arraigned in Suffolk Superior Court on Monday.
On Sept. 19, 2022, a 15-year-old boy underwent surgery on his chest at Boston Children’s Hospital, located at 300 Longwood Ave. He was administered anesthesia during the surgery and awoke to find his nurse, later identified as Tam, inappropriately touching his genitals, according to investigators.
On Jan. 2, 2025, Boston police were called to Boston Children’s Hospital after a teen reported being sexually assaulted after undergoing surgery under anesthesia by his nurse, Tam. According to investigators, Tam told the victim’s mother to drive to the entrance so the patient could be discharged. Tam then dressed the victim, took him to the first floor and brought him into a single-stall bathroom despite the victim not needing to use the restroom, according to investigators. Tam then sexually assaulted the victim for approximately eight minutes, including fondling his genitals and offering to pull up pornographic material on his phone, according to investigators.
When the victim’s mother became aware of the situation, she immediately alerted hospital staff. Investigators said security footage shows Tam wheeling the victim to a bathroom and exiting nine minutes later.
The indictment involves two teens, but investigators believe there may be more victims.
“We are concerned that these may not be isolated incidents, and we want to assure parents that any information they provide will be thoroughly and sensitively investigated,” Hayden said.
Hayden urged parents whose children may have encountered Tam at Boston Children’s Hospital or at his prior workplaces, including Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, UMass Memorial Medical Center Worcester campus and UMass Memorial Medical Center Marlborough campus, to contact authorities if they have any suspicions that their children may have been assaulted.
In Suffolk County, people can contact the Children’s Advocacy Center of Suffolk County at 617-779-2146. Survivors may also contact the Child Protection Unit at the Suffolk County district attorney’s office at 617-619-4300. Anyone who believes that a child in Massachusetts may be the victim of abuse should call the DCF Child at Risk Hotline at 1-800-792-5200.