2nd Tri-Cities woman in assisted care center accuses physical therapist of sexual assault

A second woman has come forward accusing a Pasco physical therapist of inappropriately touching her and making sexual advances.

This woman, like the previous alleged victim, is a resident of an assisted-living facility.

However, she also is a patient of LuRon Anderson and told a detective the inappropriate contact happened during seven or eight different treatment sessions, according to court documents.

The first woman did not know Anderson, but had seen him around her facility while he was there checking on a patient.

Anderson, 45, now has two separate cases in Franklin County Superior Court.

He pleaded innocent this week to fourth-degree assault and two counts of indecent liberties in each case. The gross misdemeanor assaults include the allegation that the crimes were sexually motivated.

A trial is scheduled April 8.

Anderson is out of custody after posting bond on $3,500.

He first got his physical therapist license in 2005, and last renewed it in March 2019, Washington Department of Health records show.

He previously was certified as an emergency medical responder for three years.

Patient reported being scared

The state health website does not show any enforcement actions against Anderson.

He apparently is an in-home physical therapist, but also provides his services to residents in Tri-Cities nursing homes.

Franklin County sheriff’s detectives first took a report Jan. 3 after Anderson had been at Pasco’s Rosetta Assisted Living to see a patient.

In that case, a 65-year-old woman said Anderson had done “inappropriate things” to her, including brushing her chest two to three times with the back of his hand and asking her to remove her top, court documents said.

The woman refused and, as soon as Anderson was gone from her room, she pushed her “call button” to alert facility staff.

The victim’s roommate said Anderson had opened the door to their room and walked inside, then tried to help the roommate in the bathroom but she declined, documents said.

Days after the sheriff’s office released information about Anderson’s arrest, a 78-year-old woman at Tri-Cities Retirement Inn reported that he had sexually assaulted her last November.

The woman said she had tried to pull her body away from Anderson every time he touched her inappropriately, but he would keep a hand on her and tell her not to do that, court documents said.

She said Anderson never used force. However, she was scared because she was alone with him each time, documents said.

The woman said Anderson asked her to touch his genitals, but she refused. He also exposed himself once, she said.

This story was originally published January 23, 2020 at 12:48 PM.