The man, who has name suppression, was on trial in the Invercargill District Court this week on one charge of indecent assault for grabbing the buttocks of his co-worker.
The assault happened in October last year when the defendant was handing over a sick woman in his care to emergency medical technicians, the court heard.
A medical student was present at the handover as well as other witnesses.
The victim gave evidence she was kneeling in the back door of the vehicle tending to the patient when she felt someone come up behind her and grab her bottom.
Realising it was the defendant, she then felt him lean up against her, pressing his groin into her backside, she said.
Shaken, she tried to continue with her work as he brushed past her in the close confines of the vehicle, also touching her breasts, she said.
The man, who denied intentionally ever touching the woman, gave evidence that he often carried a medium-sized torch in the pocket of his cargo pants as well as his phone and pager.
The victim rejected suggestions that what she felt was something other than the man’s genitals but admitted that she could not see exactly what was being pushed into her back.
The medical student testified she was sure she saw the man touch the victim’s buttocks, but did not call it out on the spot as she was the most junior person there.
The medical student said following the assault the victim asked her "did you see him grab my ass?" to which she replied, "yep, I saw that, and I’ll back you up on what I saw".
The court heard that the clinical specialist had been working in his field for several decades and was the recipient of a national honour.
Crown prosecutor Mary-Jane Thomas did not dispute the HNZ employee had been of valuable and professional service to his community.
Judge Russell Walker said he found the victim to be a reliable witness who "stayed steadfast" during cross-examination.
"This case relies heavily on the reliability of the complainant ... I may say, I found her evidence compelling," he said.
The judge found the man groped the victim’s bottom but said he could not exclude the possibility that it was a torch later pressed against the victim.
The man was remanded on bail for sentencing in February.
