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Ex-children's hospital worker accused of abuse

Child Abuse
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AUGUSTA, Ga. (AP) - A former employee of Children's Hospital of Georgia is accused of sexual battery involving patients at the Augusta facility.

Authorities say 56-year-old Bernard Edwards of Hephzibah is scheduled to be arraigned next month in Richmond County Superior Court on charges of aggravated sexual battery, sexual battery against a hospital patient and simple battery.

An indictment returned this week accuses Edwards of sexually assaulting a girl Nov. 14, and another patient in 2010. He's accused of inappropriately hugging and touching a boy in a third incident in 2012.

Georgia Regents University said Edwards was fired Jan. 8 from his job as a mental health technician.

The Augusta Chronicle reports that Edwards is free on bond. Attempts by The Associated Press to reach him at his Hephzibah residence on Thursday were unsuccessful.