When we arrived at Dr. Jacques Aristilde’s Spring Hill home his wife was out front doing yard work. Her husband was no where to be found, and she had no idea why we were asking for him.
It is one of those situations where a reporter has to be careful about what we say and how we say it. During our conversation the wife said she would call her husband for us and ask him why we were there. A few minutes later she handed us the phone.
Aristilde told ABC Action News reporter Michael Paluska that his lawyer told him not to comment on the case.
According to the Hernando County Sheriff's Office, Aristilde inappropriately touched a 15-year-old high school student that worked at his office part-time after work.
The news release described the alleged contact on multiple occasions at the office located at 2178 Mariner Blvd. Spring Hill. It stated:
Aristilde grabbed her by the waist and extended her dress from her body. During a May 3 encounter Aristilde touched her buttocks with an open hand; however, she was uncertain if it was intentional so she did not tell anyone about the incident. The following day at work the teen mentioned possibly having tendinitis in her elbow and that Aristilde proceeded to touch and feel the upper part of her arms. She indicated the physical contact was unwanted. During a separate encounter, she said the doctor squeezed her thigh during a conversation they were having about weight loss. A short time later, she said Aristilde approached her again and this time grabbed her buttocks with his hand and squeezed for an extended period of time.
When asked about the accusations Aristilde told ABC Action News it was “not what it seems.”
Aristilde bonded out of jail and has to wear an ankle monitor.
As we left his neighborhood, his wife asked us to tell her why her husband was in trouble, because “he would never tell her.”
Investigators said, “on May 26, when confronted about the incidents, Aristilde apologized for touching the girl's arms and grabbing her buttocks. He acknowledged his actions were inappropriate and took the blame for making the girl feel uncomfortable. He advised he would not be so "touchy, touchy" in the future.”
