A 22-year-old Hamden woman, strapped to a gurney and floating in and out of consciousness, was sexually assaulted by an American Medical Response paramedic early Christmas morning as she was being transported to the hospital after injuring her head due to a fall, according to Hamden Police.

Mark Powell, 49, of 90 Clintonville Rd., North Haven was charged Thursday with first-degree sexual assault and first degree unlawful restraint, police spokesman Capt. Ronald Smith said Friday.

The charges stem from the 3 a.m. call Christmas morning to a Hamden residence on the report of a fall victim, Smith said.

When police arrived at the home, the address of which is being withheld to protect the identity of the victim, Hamden Fire Rescue personnel were treating a 22-year-old woman for a head injury, Smith said.

The woman was attending a holiday party when she fell and injured her head and lost consciousness, Smith said. AMR was called to take the woman to Yale-New Haven Hospital, he said.

"While being transported to the hospital, she awoke in the ambulance to find an AMR employee sexually assaulting her," Smith said. Because the woman was strapped to the stretcher, she could neither move nor speak, he said. "She was helpless at the time of the assault," he said.

She then lost consciousness again, he said, and awoke in the hospital.

She was treated and released from the hospital, Smith said, but didn't report the assault until Dec. 28 because she was afraid, he said.

"She reported it two or three days after the sex assault," Smith said. "The reason for the delay was she was extremely embarrassed and scared as to what happened and it took her that amount of time to actually call us."

Investigating officers learned that Powell was treating the woman in the back of the ambulance, Smith said. There was another person driving the ambulance, Smith said, but he said he couldn't comment on whether that person knew what was going on in the back.

Police would not say exactly what occurred in the ambulance and only that the assault lasted about five to seven seconds. 

"We really can't discuss the evidence, but it is evidence that our officers believe proves probable cause and I believe is very strong," Smith said.

Powell was cooperative, Police Chief Thomas Wydra said, but "we will not discuss any intimate details.

"He was interviewed by detectives, but that content we will keep to ourselves -- we certainly don't want to jeopardize any future prosecution." 

Powell posted $25,000 bond and is scheduled to appear in Meriden Superior Court on Jan. 19.

“The allegations in this case represent outrageous and horrifying conduct by an emergency medical professional," Wydra said. "Our society places the greatest level of trust and confidence in its public safety providers, and the circumstances in this case reflect a tremendous breach of that faith.

"The victim in this incident demonstrated enormous strength and courage in bringing this complaint forward.”