Christopher Piller, a former nurse at Athens (Ga.) Regional Medical Center, allegedly performed oral sex on a male patient as he emerged from anesthesia in post-op recovery. Mr. Piller stands accused of aggravated sodomy and could face a lengthy jail term if convicted.

The patient awoke to find Mr. Piller performing the sex act, says R. Douglas Lenhardt, the patient's attorney. According to Mr. Lenhardt, the patient was still feeling the effects of anesthesia and could not physically resist the assault, but demanded that Mr. Piller stop and leave him alone.

Mr. Lenhardt says his client underwent surgery at approximately 6:00 p.m. on Nov. 17, 2014, and believes the incident occurred between 7:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m., which could explain how it may have gone undetected. "I have confirmed with an independent source who previously worked in that unit that there is typically no one or only a single patient in the recovery area late in the evening," explains Mr. Lenhardt.

He also claims that his client was alone with Mr. Piller in a locked room adjacent to the main recovery area, but has received no explanation from the medical center as to why that may have been the case.

A spokesman for Athens Regional confirmed Mr. Piller is no longer employed by the facility, but had no further comment.

According to a report in the Athens-Banner Herald, Mr. Piller received a nursing excellence award in 2013 because of the way he comforted the friends and family of a fatal car accident victim.

Mr. Lenhardt says his client is exploring the possibility of civil action against Mr. Piller and Athens Regional.

Kevin Epps, Mr. Piller's attorney, calls his client an award-wining nurse who's been wrongfully accused. "Put simply," he says, "Mr. Piller is innocent."

Daniel Cook