番茄社区

James Heaps, MD, an ob/gyn formerly employed by the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA), was found guilty this week on five counts in connection with the sexual assaults of patients, .

Jurors convicted the physician on three counts of sexual battery by fraud and two counts of sexual penetration of an unconscious person. Heaps , with his sentencing hearing scheduled for November 17.

"The trauma Dr. Heaps inflicted on the very people he had sworn to care for is immeasurable," Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón said in a statement. "I am committed to helping all victims of sexual assault -- whether they were victimized by a doctor, school personnel or a Hollywood elite -- and encourage them to contact my office's Bureau of Victim Services if they are in need of services."

Heaps was initially charged in 2019, according to the District Attorney's office. A grand jury indicted Heaps last year, with the indictment alleging sexual misconduct by the ob/gyn from 2009 to 2018 involving seven former patients.

This week, jurors found Heaps guilty of five of the 21 counts against him.

Heaps was acquitted on three counts of sexual battery by fraud, three counts of sexual penetration of an unconscious person and one count of sexual exploitation of a patient. Jurors could not reach a unanimous verdict on three counts of sexual battery by fraud, four counts of sexual penetration of an unconscious person and two counts of sexual exploitation of a patient.

The District Attorney's office said that there has not yet been a decision on whether to retry the physician on the hung counts.

The physician was affiliated with UCLA in various roles from 1983 to 2018, . The institution has already paid some $700 million to settle claims of sexual misconduct against him.

Heaps' former employer said in a statement: "UCLA Health is grateful for the patients who came forward. Sexual misconduct of any kind is reprehensible and intolerable. Our overriding priority is providing the highest quality care while ensuring that patients feel safe, protected and respected."

Leonard Levine, counsel for Heaps, did not immediately respond to a request for comment. However, Levine told the Los Angeles Times that .

Other sexual assault cases have gained attention in the healthcare field. Earlier this month, 番茄社区 reported that Columbia University Irving Medical Center and New York-Presbyterian announced a settlement with 147 women who alleged that gynecologist Robert Hadden, MD, sexually abused them over a nearly 20-year period. The settlement establishes a $165 million fund to be distributed among the former patients, which include minors.

In another high-profile case, the University of South California said earlier this year that it would to former patients of George Tyndall, MD, a gynecologist against hundreds of women.

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