A Mecklenburg County jury has convicted a former Fort Mill, South Carolina paramedic of sexually assaulting a teenage patient while she was being transported by ambulance in January 2023. Akingbiwaju Opadele was found guilty on charges connected to the attack, which occurred as the teen suffered a medical emergency, and a judge has since sentenced him to prison time along with decades of sex-offender registration.
According to WCNC, Opadele was found guilty of second-degree forcible sex offense and sexual activity by a custodian. Queen City News, however, described the jury's verdict as a conviction for sexual contact under the pretext of medical treatment — a discrepancy between the two outlets' accounts of exactly which charge language the jury returned. Superior Court Judge Louis Trosch Jr. sentenced Opadele to 70 to 144 months in prison, the station reports, and ordered him to register as a sex offender for 30 years.
A Seizure at School, Then an Assault in Transit
The incident happened on January 17, 2023, per the same report. The teenage victim had suffered a seizure at school and was being taken to Atrium Health Levine Children's Hospital by Fort Mill Emergency Medical Services when the assault occurred in the back of the ambulance. Upon arrival at the hospital, the victim immediately reported the assault to Atrium medical staff and asked that Opadele leave her hospital room, according to the station's report on the case.
Witnesses from Atrium Health and Fort Mill Emergency Services testified at trial in support of the victim, and the same account notes that DNA testing corroborated her version of events. Those details formed the core of the prosecution's case as it went before the jury this year.
Charges, Bond, and a Dropped Count
Opadele was arrested in March 2023 and initially faced three charges: second-degree forcible sex offense, sexual activity by a custodian, and sexual contact or penetration under the pretext of medical treatment, per the same account. The third charge was dropped in August, the report notes. He posted a $15,000 bond after his arrest and, per the same account, spent zero days in jail before his conviction — a detail that underscores how long the case moved through the court system before resolution.
Because he was never held in custody pending trial, Opadele will not receive credit for time served against his sentence, the station reports. He has since appealed the conviction, though the outlet's report does not detail the grounds or status of that appeal.
What the 30-Year Registration Requirement Means
North Carolina's sex-offender registration framework, outlined in state statute, covers people convicted of reportable offenses.
The case adds to a string of recent prosecutions in the Charlotte region involving medical and emergency personnel accused of abusing access to vulnerable patients. For now, the conviction closes a chapter that began nearly four years ago with a seizure at school and a ride meant to get a teenager to safety.
