Parkridge Valley Hospital fired an employee who was arrested Thursday and charged with statutory rape after she allegedly began a sexual relationship with a minor in the adolescent unit.

Kase Christine Dilbeck, 21, of Dayton, Tenn., was indicted by a Hamilton County grand jury on four counts of statutory rape and released on $5,000 bond.

"When the hospital learned that our standards of behavior were being violated, we took swift and immediate action which included terminating the employment of the staff member involved," said Dr. Susan McGuire, medical director for child and adolescent services at Parkridge Valley, in an e-mail statement to the Times Free Press. "We reported the situation to the appropriate authorities and continue to cooperate fully with investigators."

When reached by phone Friday afternoon, Ms. Dilbeck referred all questions to her attorney, Andrew Tucker, of Dayton. Mr. Tucker said he could not discuss the pending case.

Ms. Dilbeck began working at the hospital in December 2007 as a mental health technician in the children's unit, said Kristin Helm, spokeswoman for the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation.

In August 2008, she began working on the third shift caring for long-term patients. While working the shift, she befriended a young man and they began having a sexual relationship in September 2008, Ms. Helm said.

"The relationship was discovered when Ms. Dilbeck sent a photograph of her and the victim sitting together at PVH via cellular telephone to a former patient," Ms. Helm said.

She said the photograph was shown to another staff member, who reported it to the facility director.

The director contacted the Tennessee Department of Children's Services, which alerted the TBI.