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Nurse's aide posted Facebook photos of patients

An Oregon nursing assistant spent eight days in jail after a jury found her guilty of taking disturbing photos of elderly or disabled patients and posting them to her Facebook wall.
This photo released by the Multnomah County Sheriff's Office shows 26-year-old Nai Mai Chao. Police say Chao, who worked as a nursing assistant, took photos of dying patients at a nursing home and posted them on her Facebook page with demeaning comments.
This photo released by the Multnomah County Sheriff's Office shows 26-year-old Nai Mai Chao. Police say Chao, who worked as a nursing assistant, took photos of dying patients at a nursing home and posted them on her Facebook page with demeaning comments.Anonymous / AP
/ Source: The Associated Press

An Oregon nursing assistant spent eight days in jail after a jury found her guilty of taking disturbing photos of elderly or disabled patients and posting them to her Facebook wall.

A jury convicted Nai Mai Chao, 26, of invasion of personal privacy late last month. She was released from prison on Friday.

She was accused of taking graphic photos of patients using bed pans and posting them on Facebook. The pictures date to April 2011.

The pictures show at least two patients — one of a patient lying down and another of the back of a patient's head. The rest of the pictures are of the contents of bed pans.

Her Facebook friends commented on several pictures, expressing disgust or humor about the photos.

Chao surrendered her nursing certificate in January and was fired from the Regency Pacific Nursing and Rehab Center in the Portland suburb of Gresham.

Chao denied taking the photos but admitted posting them.

The charge of invasion of personal privacy is a misdemeanor.

In addition to the jail time, she was ordered to write a 1,000-word apology to a patient that "should be an insightful look at why the defendant did what she did." If the essay doesn't meet that standard, the judge ruled, she could be charged with violating her two-year probation.

She is also forbidden for two years from working in a job that would require her to care for children or the elderly.

Chao did not answer a number listed for her in court documents on Wednesday. A court document notes that she does not have a fixed address.