A certified nursing assistant and owner of an adult family home in Edmonds had his credentials to practice suspended Monday after allegedly having sexual contact with a 62-year-old female resident in his care last summer.

The Washington State Department of Health said Monday that Thomas Perez Orate and his wife were the owners and sole employees of the Edmonds adult family home. In August 2011, Orate offered to massage the resident, who had been diagnosed with “some mental and physical illnesses.” The resident declined, but Orate began the massage anyway, which eventually led to unwanted sexual contact. A similar incident occurred that evening, leading the victim and another resident to confront Orate about his behavior. Orate denies the allegations, claiming the two residents made them up.

According to the Department of Social and Health Services, the family home owned by Orate has been closed, but the department noted that Orate’s daughter and son-in-law also own two adult family homes.

“The Secretary of Health finds that sexually touching a vulnerable client, violating the trust placed in a caregiver and nursing assistant, as alleged here…justified making a determination of immediate danger and  decision to immediately suspend the credential until a hearing on the matter can be held,” said the review judge in the case, John F. Kuntz.