An employee of the University Medical Center and member of the hospital's Ethics Consultation Board faces two felony charges related to solicitation of sexual activity and child pornography, according to Charlottesville police and Charlottesville General District Court records.
Christopher W. Fuerst, 39, was arrested June 28 and charged with both sexual battery of a minor and with using a communications system to promote sexually explicit materials involving children.
According to police, the June 28 arrest occurred at a meeting between Fuerst and an Albemarle police officer. The officer posed as a minor on an unspecified computer communications system to arrange the meeting.
Fuerst arrived at the arrest location with a 13-year-old girl that he has allegedly been having sexual relations with for over a year.
Court records indicate that Fuerst was held at the Albemarle--Charlottesville Regional Jail following his arrest but has since been released on bail.
Fuerst, a resident of Palmyra, was a nurse in the medical intensive care unit for the University Hospital. The medical intensive care unit serves only adults, not children.
Medical Center spokeswoman Marguerite Beck said "he's currently suspended without pay."
Fuerst also serves on the Health System's Ethics Consultation Board, an interdisciplinary body under the Health System's Ethics Committee.
The Ethics Consultation Board is responsible for identifying and resolving ethical problems in the clinical setting between patients, professional staff and other involved parties. As a suspended member, he currently is not serving on the board.
According to Fluvanna Commonwealth's Attorney Jeff Haislip, parents of the 13-year-old girl that accompanied Fuerst to the arrest site petitioned a Fluvanna County judge for a protective order.
Fuerst's hearing was most recently scheduled for August 15. The hearing is now scheduled for September 26 in Charlottesville General District Court.
The hearing "was pushed back because of the unavailability of one of the Commonwealth witnesses," Fuerst's attorney Rhonda Quagliana said.
Quagliana added that preliminary hearings in felony cases often are postponed.
"Rarely does a preliminary hearing go forward exactly when it's scheduled," she said.
Preliminary hearings for felony charges are held in general district court. If the defendant pleads innocent, the felony trial will take place in circuit court.
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