Former Valley Regional Physician Charged With Sexual Assault
Claremont — A former Valley Regional Hospital doctor who self-reported a sexual relationship with a patient in May has been charged with one count of aggravated felonious sexual assault.
Dr. Eric L. Knight, 50, of Derry, N.H., turned himself in to Claremont police on an arrest warrant on Friday and was released on $25,000 personal recognizance bail, according to a news release issued on Monday by Claremont Police Chief Mark Chase and Sullivan County Attorney Marc Hathaway.
The New Hampshire Board of Medicine suspended Knight’s medical license in September after he disclosed in May that he “engaged in a sexual relationship with a patient,” according to a board filing. Knight, who was a family practice physician in Claremont, voluntarily surrendered his credentials in May, and Valley Regional Hospital fired him in June.
“The charging document alleges that he engaged in sexual penetration with a person during the course of a treating relationship,” Hathaway said in a telephone interview on Friday. He declined to get into specifics, but said additional charges are likely.
Under New Hampshire law, it is a felony for a doctor, while in the course of treating a patient, to engage in sexual penetration with that person, according to the state’s criminal code.
After the Board of Medicine suspended Knight’s license in September, a criminal investigation ensued, the news release said.
“The order of suspension alleged that Knight engaged in an unlawful sexual relationship with a patient while practicing medicine at Valley Regional Hospital in Claremont,” the release said.
A message left for Knight’s attorney, Andrea Daly of Portsmouth-based Robinson, Boesch, Sennott & Masse, wasn’t returned.
The release doesn’t give specifics about the alleged incident, including details about what Knight is accused of doing or when. Claremont Police Sgt. Stephen Alex Lee also declined to expand on the allegation. Chase, the Claremont chief, deferred questions to Lee and Hathaway, the prosecutor.
However, documents filed online by the state Board of Medicine make reference to a board investigator interview with “patient 1 about her alleged sexual relationship with (Knight) that he had recently disclosed.”
The documents make reference to two inappropriate relationships with patients, one at Valley Regional Hospital in 2016-17 and the other at Elliot Primary Care in Londonderry, N.H., in 2013-14.
The alleged sexual misconduct came to the attention of the state when Knight disclosed one of the relationships in a license renewal application filed over the summer. Shortly after he disclosed that information, he began receiving treatment, the document said.
The woman told investigators that the sexual relationship started in late 2016, and occurred in places such as Knight’s office in Claremont, in the Valley Regional Hospital men’s locker room and at Knight’s Sunapee apartment. She asserted that they had intercourse against her will several times.
The patient told the investigator that she became pregnant with Knight’s child twice, but lost both pregnancies; she said she got pregnant with the aid of hormone injections Knight gave her. She also told an investigator that Knight injured her during sex, according to the board filing.
She also told an investigator that Knight spent time with her two children without her permission. Her children also were Knight’s patients.
In a separate interview with a board investigator, Knight said he met with her at least three times a week and had sexual intercourse. He denied having sex with her in his office, but acknowledged that he “massaged patient 1 and did stretching exercises with her” during one office visit, actions he said he realized were “inappropriate.”
The sexual relationship ended in April, but Knight told investigators he tried to continue to treat the woman for a few weeks “until his guilt and depression drove him to disclose the relationship.”
In addition to the patients at Valley Regional and Elliot Primary Care, Knight also allegedly told a board investigator that he had another “sexual boundary (violation)” in 1999 while he was in residency in Massachusetts, according to a separate board filing. Knight started at Valley Regional Hospital in 2015.
In addition to alleged sexual misconduct with patients, the board’s filings indicate that Knight also failed to comply with the board’s opioid prescribing rules. He hasn’t been charged criminally on that accusation.
Hathaway, the prosecutor, commended the quick work of everyone involved in the case. Law enforcement officials weren’t aware of the situation involving Knight until an article appeared in the Valley News and other newspapers in September.
The allegation rocked the Valley Regional Hospital community, hospital CEO Peter Wright said at the time. Wright himself recruited and hired Knight, and Wright said Knight was a person he and others at the close-knit hospital trusted. He was unavailable for comment on Monday.
“We are very appreciative of the referral from the New Hampshire Board of Medicine and secondly, the Claremont Police Department, (which) moved very quickly to bring this to a place where we were able to move forward,” Hathaway said.
Knight will be arraigned in Claremont District Court on Feb. 12. (LINK)—1/29/2018
Claremont Doctor Has License Suspended Over Sex Allegations
Claremont — The New Hampshire Board of Medicine has suspended the medical license of a former Valley Regional Hospital physician, citing evidence of sexual misconduct and his failure to comply with the board’s opioid prescribing rules.
Dr. Eric Lee Knight was employed as a family practice physician in Claremont until he was fired in June.
During an interview with the state board’s investigator, Knight acknowledged having sex with two patients — one while employed in Claremont and one while employed elsewhere — and admitted that he “did not pay attention” to the board’s procedures for prescribing opioids, according to an order of emergency license suspension and notice of hearing issued on Monday.
Knight came to the attention of the state when he disclosed one of the sexual relationships in a license renewal application filed this summer.
“The board has received information indicating that the continued practice of medicine by (Knight) poses an imminent threat to life, safety and/or health, which warrants the temporary suspension of (Knight’s) license to practice medicine pending a hearing on whether permanent and/or temporary disciplinary sanctions should be imposed,” the board wrote in its order.
Knight voluntarily stopped practicing in May, surrendered his privileges at Valley Regional after disclosing “an improper relationship with a patient” and began receiving treatment through an out-of-state professional enhancement program, according to a board filing.
A subsequent investigation by Valley Regional officials determined that Knight’s “relationship” with a woman referred to in the filings as “patient 1” was “inappropriate” under the American Medical Association’s principles of medical ethics, the state criminal code, the hospital’s bylaws and the Federation of State Medical Boards’ guidelines.
In addition, Knight violated Med 502, the state Board of Medicine’s rules for prescribing controlled substances and the AMA’s principles of medical ethics when he failed to use “pain contracts” with 85 of the 87 patients for whom he had prescribed opioids in the previous year.
In the case of patient 1, records indicate Knight failed to run a query on her in the prescription drug monitoring program, complete a pain contract or conduct a urine toxicology test. Her prescription dose also was well above normal prescribing patterns, according to a board filing.
Valley Regional fired Knight on June 20.
In his license renewal application filed in early July, Knight indicated he suffers from depression, anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder, as well as a previously “undiagnosed addictive personality,” which he said was discovered in May, after he “had spiraled down, engaged in a sexual boundary crossing with a patient.”
Phone and email messages left on Tuesday for Knight’s attorney, Andrea Daly of Robinson, Boesch, Sennott & Masse in Portsmouth, N.H., were not returned.
In an interview with the board’s investigator, patient 1 alleged that Knight, who rented an apartment in Sunapee, raped her “on multiple occasions” after their patient/doctor relationship began in late October or early November of last year. The timeline is muddy, however. Medical records obtained by the investigator indicate that patient 1 was in fact a patient of Knight’s at his former practice, Elliot Primary Care in Londonderry, N.H. He left Elliot in March 2016.
In one instance, the patient alleges a sex assault occurred in the men’s locker room at Valley Regional. She also told the investigator that the first time they had sex was in Knight’s office in Claremont, an allegation Knight denied in his own interview with the investigator. Knight did, however, acknowledge that during one office visit, he “massaged patient 1 and did stretching exercises with her,” which he recognized was “inappropriate.”
The patient said she was “forced” to tell Knight about her history of sexual abuse, and alleges that Knight had sex with her “after she advised him that she was injured and bleeding from him having sexual intercourse with her one to three times per day.”
The patient told the investigator that — with the aid of hormone injections Knight gave her that caused her to feel discomfort and nausea — she twice became pregnant with Knight’s child, but she lost both pregnancies. She also said that she developed kidney infections after having sex with Knight, something she didn’t have previously.
The patient alleges that Knight took pain medication that was prescribed to her and that he drugged her on several occasions by crushing medication into her drinks, causing her to pass out.
Knight told the investigator that he does not drink alcohol or take opiates and denied diverting any of the patient’s medications.
The patient also alleges that Knight spent time with her children without her permission, lectured her about religion and controlled her relationships with friends. Knight acknowledged that he spent time with the patient’s children and said that their activities included watching movies and going shopping.
Knight told the investigator he “felt that patient 1’s youngest daughter was starting to trust him,” according to the documents.
The patient’s two daughters also were Knight’s patients while he was engaged “in a sexual relationship with their mother,” according to the board’s filings.
In subsequent communication with the board’s investigator, Knight said he previously had sexual contact with a patient, known as “patient 2,” in 2013 and 2014, while he was employed by Elliot Primary Care. At that time, both the patient and her daughter were patients of his, Knight told the investigator. The affair lasted a few months, but ended when the patient met someone else.
Knight told the investigator that he wanted the relationship to continue.
“(Knight) wanted patient 2 to continue to cut his hair and to keep the ‘door open,’ ” according to the documents.
Knight also told the board investigator he had a “three-month inappropriate relationship with a patient, which involved sexual stimulation,” in 1999, during his residency in Massachusetts. Knight is a graduate of Harvard Medical School, according to his LinkedIn profile.
Claremont Police Chief Mark Chase, reached by phone on Tuesday, said he was unaware of any investigation into sexual assault allegations against Knight.
“I’m not seeing any investigation,” Chase said, adding that another agency may have launched one without his knowing. “(I’m) not saying that someone hasn’t launched an investigation.”
Knight is scheduled to appear before the Board of Medicine next week for a hearing to determine whether he engaged in professional misconduct according to the AMA’s code of ethics and the state’s aggravated felonious sexual assault statute. The hearing is set for 1 p.m. on Oct. 4 at the board’s office in Concord.(LINK)—9/27/2017
Cheryl Maher’s ex-husband [Dr. Eric Knight] says she is trying to destroy him and Kevin Garn
SALT LAKE CITY — Dr. Eric Knight doesn’t agree on much with his ex-wife, Cheryl Maher, the woman who disclosed she hot-tubbed in the nude as a 15-year-old with Kevin Garn 25 years ago, leading him to resign as Utah House majority leader.
But one thing that they do agree about is that Knight has some key things in common with Garn, which is why Maher may have gone public with her story.
Knight says his similarity to Garn is that Maher has been trying to destroy him personally and professionally, and that she seeks to blame both men for her bad decisions.
Maher says Knight and Garn are both liars, both abused her and both had affairs with young girls — and she has decided to fight them now. “I married someone who was just like Kevin Garn,” she said.
Knight’s and Maher’s stories differ widely about Maher’s history with Garn, which of them actually sought money from him and what kind of abuse occurred.
Knight said Maher has tried to destroy him professionally since they divorced three years ago. Knight, a medical doctor in Derry, N.H., has since remarried and has custody of their three children. (Maher also had another child from a previous marriage.) He said the state medical board and Derry police investigated allegations she made against him and cleared him.
Knight said she threatened to keep making allegations unless he gave more concessions out of their divorce decree, “She’s getting very frustrated because none of it is working,” Knight said. “So that’s one of the reasons I think she is lashing out” at Garn. “It is my hope that the press and public will quickly stop enabling her in these destructive efforts, and will leave the Garn family and others involved in peace. I think Kevin (Garn) has paid his dues for this many times over, and she’s basically just using him because she’s angry and frustrated.”
Maher, however, said, “Eric Knight is a liar.” Since their divorce, “he has stalked me and perpetrated lies about me” that cost her custody. She says police are still investigating some of her complaints about him.
Maher sent an e-mail Monday to explain why she went public with the Garn incident. “Over 25 years ago, I was saddled with a secret and indiscretion that would send my self-esteem, ability to trust and innocence spiraling,” she wrote. “For the past 25 years, I have done ‘what was best’ for Kevin Garn, the Garn family … and desires of several other very selfish people. … Now finally, I am doing what is best for Cheryl.”
Knight portrays things differently. He says that until a few years ago, Maher considered Garn a friend who had even given her money during a tough time before they were married.
“Actually on our honeymoon out there (to Utah), we stopped by and she introduced me to the Garns saying this was a family she knew and that she had been close with. She kind of hinted that when she was a teenager, she had a crush on him,” but she would not mention the hot-tubbing incident until years later, Knight said.
He said things changed when she was pregnant with their son in 2000, had kidney stones and became addicted to pain medication that she took for it. Maher says she became addicted after learning that her husband had an affair with a patient, was physically abusive to her and had an affair with a minor before they were married.
Regardless, as she talked to a counselor to overcome addiction, she mentioned the hot-tubbing.
Knight said, “It was something that she felt guilty about because she felt like when she was 15, she had an affair with a married man. The counselor said no, this wasn’t an affair, you were a child, you were a victim here. So she started changing her thinking to: ‘I’m a victim.’ ”
Both agree Maher started blaming Garn for problems she had with drugs, a car accident when she was driving (where a friend was killed) and mental problems. Still, Knight said Maher wasn’t going to act on it — until she found out Garn was running for Congress.
“Her position was that he had never made things right with her. She didn’t know if he had repented appropriately … so she was talking with me about it, and with our bishop. Our bishop contacted Salt Lake, and the response we got back was that they had looked into it, and on their end everything had been handled appropriately,” Knight said.
Maher said she tried to talk to her bishop about her husband. In 2008 she wrote to LDS President Thomas S. Monson about Garn. She received a brief reply letter from church headquarters that the matter would be reviewed.
LDS Church spokesman Scott Trotter said, “Legal requirements concerning priest-penitent privilege prevents the church from talking about the specifics of meetings between members and ecclesiastical leaders.” He said Maher’s 2008 letter was referred to local leaders, and said the church would review to see if any further action is appropriate.
Knight said Maher was resentful in 2002 that church leaders didn’t contact her to see how she was coping. He said Maher and her sister contacted the media and called the Utah attorney general to investigate statutes of limitation and the possibility of a civil suit.
Knight said when a reporter called Garn to ask about the allegations, “It was the first (Garn) heard about it. He called Cheryl, and said, ‘What is going on? I didn’t realize there was a problem. I thought everything was fine between us for all these years.’ ”
It was the weekend before the 2002 GOP primary, but Garn stopped campaigning to fly East to meet Maher and Knight. “He dropped everything, all the campaigning. He and his wife flew out here, and we sat down with the bishop,” Knight said. “When we finished it was all hugs and smiles and everybody was happy and everything was fine.”
After Garn lost the election, Knight said Maher started thinking of “all these other problems she was then pinning on Kevin. So she thought some further restitution was appropriate. She contacted them. They were surprised. It was months after the campaign.”
Knight said Garn offered $20,000, but Maher wanted $150,000. While the payment included a nondisclosure agreement, Knight said Garn gave it “in the spirit of restitution.”
Maher, however, said it was Knight who was pushing for money, and it was him who pushed for the $150,000 instead of $20,000, not her. As evidence, she kept many emails from the period where the Garn family was dealing primarily with Knight, not her.
Garn has not responded to Deseret News calls since his admission before the Legislature Thursday that he had been in a hot tub nude with Maher. He said that no touching occurred.
Knight said Maher is looking for scapegoats. Maher acknowledged making mistakes of her own but said going public about the hot-tubbing is part of trying to put her life back together.
She said in her e-mail on Monday, “It has been a long and painful road as I have put the broken pieces of my life back together. The inward struggles have been daunting and they have been many. At the end of the healing, I knew what had to be done” — and that was to go public, she wrote.
“Some of you may never understand why I had the need to, in part, ‘scream this from the rooftops.’ The truth is that it doesn’t matter who understands,” she wrote. “I did what I have done for my children, for my family and for every woman who has lived through the mental, emotional, sexual or physical abuse at the hands of others.” (LINK)—3/16/2010
[Editor’s note: Cheryl Maher who is mentioned in the 2010 article as the doctor’s ex-wife, was murdered in 2011, apparently by her current boyfriend’s son. Below is an article on that.]
Cheryl Maher strangled, stabbed to death by boyfriend’s son, police say
Provided by Cheryl MaherCheryl Maher, who as a 15-year-old was involved in a nude hot tubbing incident with former House Majority Leader Kevin Garn in the 1980s, was killed in a murder-suicide in New Hampshire. Authorities confirmed Tuesday that she was killed by the 18-year-old son of her current boyfriend in Weare, New Hampshire. This photo was taken in 2010.
CONCORD, N.H. — Former Utahn Cheryl Maher was strangled and stabbed to death, apparently by the 18-year-old son of her current boyfriend in Weare, N.H., investigators said Tuesday.
Autopsies performed by New Hampshire authorities identified the victims as Maher, 41, and Jacob Geiser, 18. Maher’s death was ruled a homicide. The teenage boy is the son of Joseph Geiser, whom Maher had lived with for three months.
Jacob Geiser died of a single gunshot to the head, according the state authorities. His death was ruled a suicide, according to a statement by the New Hampshire attorney general, state police and the medical examiner.
Jacob Geiser apparently killed Maher before committing a home invasion about a mile away from the Geiser residence on Sunday morning, authorities said. The investigation is ongoing.
As a 15-year-old, Maher was involved in a hot-tubbing incident with married state lawmaker Kevin Garn in 1985. Garn, 28 at the time, asked her to hot tub with him in Salt Lake City. Garn was a friend of the Maher family and had taught the girl’s Sunday School class.
Garn insisted there was no physical contact during the 1985 nude hot tub incident, but Maher told the Deseret News that wasn’t true and said they had a relationship that lasted several months.
Garn, former House majority leader, resigned from the Legislature after a tearful admission to the incident in the closing hours of the 2010 session. Garn said he paid the woman $150,000 to “help her heal” and she had agreed to keep the incident confidential. (LINK)—7/12/2011
NEW MEXICO MEDICAL BOARD RECORD— A-1819-14 DISCIPLINARY ACTIONS— License Active; no actions listed as of 1/24/2018
Farmington doctor faces new rape accusations
FARMINGTON, N.M. (KRQE) – A Farmington doctor has been arrested again for rape.
Alan Emadee, 41, worked as a psychiatrist at San Juan Behavioral Health. Last year, he was arrested for raping a 40-year-old patient, then was hit with a civil lawsuit from 12 other patients accusing him of the same thing.
He’s now been charged with the rape of a 62-year-old patient. She claims Emadee forced her to perform a sex act in order to get her medication.
She says she didn’t report it thinking it was an isolated incident and only decided to come forward after hearing of the other allegations against him. (LINK)—1/24/2018
Twelve Women Accuse Doctor of Sexual Abuses
SANTA FE, N.M. (CN) — Already in jail on 11 criminal sex charges, a New Mexico psychiatrist and the medical center where he worked face a civil lawsuit from 12 women who say he forced them to discuss their sex lives and perform sex acts on him under the guise of therapy.
“These were all visits to his office during office hours that were part of supposed treatment,” Farmington police Det. George Joy told KOB-4, an Albuquerque news station, after Dr. Alan Emamdee was arrested in July. He was charged with six counts of criminal sexual penetration, five counts of criminal sexual contact, and denied bond.
The women also sued San Juan Regional Medical Center and San Juan Health Partners, on Oct. 4 in Santa Fe County Court. The hospital told New Mexico news outlets that Emamdee is no longer employed there and it cooperated with the investigation.
All 12 women, suing under their initials, say that Emamdee forced them to describe in intimate detail their sexual history, sex lives and sexual fantasies. In many cases, he went further, according to the 34-page complaint.
Plaintiff T.T.B. says that Emamdee told her he could help her regain custody of her children if she would give him oral sex, which she did. “He told T.T.B. that he would withhold medications and would negatively impact her custody proceedings if she did not continue to comply with his demands,” she says in the complaint.
After she refused his request to meet him at a hotel for sexual intercourse because she was engaged to be married, she says, Emamdee “wrote a note indicating T.T.B. had ‘reverted to DID,’ or dissociative identity disorder, negatively impacting her custody proceedings.”
Some of his requests were bizarre, T.T.B. says. While she was in San Juan Regional Medical Center Behavioral Health Unit, under Emamdee’s psychiatric care, she says, “He told T.T.B. that he thought her roommate in the BHU was ‘hot,’ and suggested that T.T.B. perform sexual acts on her sedated roommate.”
After she was released from the hospital, T.T.B. says, “Emamdee also had inappropriate conversations and contacts with T.T.B.’s daughter.”
Plaintiff M.B. was referred to Emamdee for post-natal care, whereupon “He asked M.B. if she would be willing to give others tips on how to perform oral sex,” she says in the complaint.
Plaintiff M.K. says she told Emamdee that when she was a young girl, an older man had forced her to give him oral sex, whereupon “Emamdee expressed that this individual was a ‘lucky man,’ and that defendant Emamdee would like M.K. to perform oral sex on him.
Many of the women say Emamdee adjusted their medications in ways that harmed rather than helped them.
C.K.O. says Emamdee sat “inappropriately near” her on his office couch while showing her “a video about how to perform a coffee enema on herself, which he recommended to her as something he does on a daily basis and ‘enjoys.’” She says he also “told her she was very attractive, told her she was very ‘bangable,’ and then hugged her.”
M.V. says Emamdee “asked if she was sexually active, and when she replied she was not, said, ‘We need to take care of that.’”
M.V. says she was referred to Emamdee for “lingering psychosis,” and told him she had “an irrational fear of aliens,” and thought that a lump in her knee “could be connected to aliens.”
She says Emamdee replied that “the lump in her knee could indeed be related to aliens,” then told her to take her pants off and caressed her knee, “under the guise of” an examination. When he suggested “that she come to his house for further testing on the lump in her knee,” M.V. says, she felt threatened and stopped seeing him, “causing a gap in her treatment and a worsening of symptoms.”
The women seek compensatory, treble and punitive damages for 13 counts, including negligence, recklessness, negligent credentialing and re-credentialing, negligent hiring and retention, vicarious liability, medical malpractice, battery, intentional infliction of emotional distress, and spoliation of evidence.
They are represented by Katie Curry with McGinn, Carpenter, Montoya & Love in Albuquerque, and Steve Murphy with Titus & Murphy in Farmington. (LINK)—10/09/2017
ALAN EMAMDEE, NEW MEXICO PSYCHIATRIST, ARRESTED FOR SEXUALLY ABUSING PATIENT
FARMINGTON, N.M. — A Farmington doctor is behind bars after being arrested for sexual abuse of a patient, and police say there could be more victims.
Farmington police arrested psychiatrist Alan Emamdee and charged him with six counts of criminal sexual penetration and five counts of criminal sexual contact.
“These were all visits to his office during office hours that were part of supposed treatment,” said George Joy, a detective with the Farmington Police Department.
Emamdee was employed by San Juan Health Partners for the last three years. Representatives for San Juan Regional Medical Center say his employment was terminated on May 12, 2017, but police say they began investigating him in March when two patients complained.
“There were disturbing patterns of behavior by Dr. Emamdee regarding his patients, he was extremely interested in their sex lives, which is concerning because it was outside of the normal range of questions asked by a psychiatrist,” Joy said.
It wasn’t until another patient spoke to detectives that they could formally charge him– saying he made threats to coerce the female patient into sexual acts.
“She was exceptionally brave, came forward, gave a good statement, we were able to tie it into office visit dates and build a pattern of behavior that really was very concerning,” Joy said.
Emamdee is on a no-bond hold at the San Juan County Detention Center.
“If there are more patients that have been victimized by Dr. Emamdee, I encourage them to come forward and tell their story please come forward and tell your story,” Joy said.
On Friday, KOB attempted to ascertain the status of Emamdee’s licensure in the state of New Mexico. He is identified as a doctor of osteopathy, which seems to be regulated by the Regulation and License Department.
As of Friday evening, it is unclear if Emamdee holds a license in this state, or if there has been any investigation opened by a licensing entity. It is also unclear how pending criminal charges could affect any license he may hold. (LINK)—7/21/2017
Police in pediatrician case: More than 30 call with support for alleged victim, other possible incidents
Richland Township police Detective Tom Keirn discusses the charges filed against Dr. Johnnie “Jack” Barto, a longtime pediatrician with offices in Cambria and Somerset counties, on Friday, Jan. 19, 2018.
Dr. Johnnie “Jack” Barto’s practice at Laurel Pediatrics Associates, 323 Budfield St., Richland Township, is shown on Friday, Jan. 19, 2018.
Authorities investigating a Johnstown pediatrician charged last week over accusations he touched a 12-year-old patient inappropriately during a Dec. 21 office visit have received about 35 calls in support of the victim and from those providing details of similar incidents in years past.
Dr. Johnnie “Jack” Barto, 70, of the 200 block of Delta Drive, was arrested Thursday by Richland Township police and charged with two counts of indecent assault and one count each of corruption of minors and endangering the welfare of a child.
A criminal complaint alleges Barto touched the 12-year-old patient’s vaginal area while she was seated on his lap at Laurel Pediatrics in Richland Township.
The child, during a forensic interview at the Cambria County Child Advocacy Center, told authorities that at a prior appointment, Barto “would rest his elbow on her crotch area while he was talking,” the criminal complaint says.
An office manager at Laurel Pediatrics’ Richland Township location declined to comment Monday, while the practice’s website no longer lists Barto as one of its providers.
Richland Township police Detective Tom Keirn on Friday said his office had received numerous calls from parents who said they suspected inappropriate activity by Barto, while others provided information about incidents years ago in which the doctor made them feel uncomfortable.
On Monday, Keirn said callers continued to provide information over the weekend to his department and to the state attorney general’s office, which is handling the Barto case.
Keirn encouraged the public to continue providing information regarding Barto’s case by calling the Cambria County nonemergency number, 472-2100, or the Office of the Attorney General, 412-565-7680.
Hearing rescheduled
Barto was arraigned Thursday via video from Cambria County Prison by District Judge Susan Gindlesperger, who set bail at 10 percent of $10,000. Online court dockets show Barto posted $1,000 cash on Thursday.
Barto is not to have contact with juveniles without supervision, according to the conditions of bail set by Gindlesperger.
Online court documents show his preliminary hearing originally scheduled for Wednesday has been rescheduled for Feb. 28.
Barto has hired Johnstown attorney David Weaver, online court documents say.
Weaver did not return a call for comment.
Why AG has the case
During an interview Friday, Keirn said Barto “did not deny the allegations of the victim.” In the criminal complaint, Keirn wrote that Barto “made admissions to having inappropriate contact with the child” and demonstrated that he was holding the child on his lap with his hand directly over her vaginal area.
“When asked about holding the child in that location, (Barto) described holding her tightly in her crotch area and also sometimes on her waist,” the complaint says.
Senior Deputy Attorney General Simquita Bridges of the state attorney general’s office has been assigned to Barto’s case.
Cambria County District Attorney Kelly Callihan said she referred the case to the state attorney general “due to a potential conflict of interest because several DA staff members utilize Laurel Pediatrics and Dr. Barto for medical services for their children.”
Callihan also said she felt there was a likelihood the investigation might cross county lines as Barto maintains offices in both Cambria and Somerset counties.
Keirn said having the state attorney general’s office handle the case will also allow for the use of a grand jury if additional families come forward with formal accusations. (LINK)—1/23/2018
Johnstown pediatrician accused of inappropriately touching 12-year-old
Dr. Johnnie “Jack” Barto, 70, of the 200 block of Delta Drive, Richland Township, has been charged with two counts of indecent assault and one count each of corruption of minors and endangering the welfare of a child, according to a criminal complaint filed by Richland Township police on Thursday, Jan. 18, 2018.
A longtime Johnstown pediatrician was charged Thursday after he allegedly touched a 12-year-old patient inappropriately during a scheduled visit Dec. 21.
Johnnie “Jack” Barto, 70, of the 200 block of Delta Drive, has been charged with two counts of indecent assault and one count each of corruption of minors and endangering the welfare of a child, according to a criminal complaint filed by Richland Township police.
Police say the alleged victim told her mother that near the end of her visit with Barto at Laurel Pediatrics, he rubbed his hand on her private area while she was seated on his lap.
Richland Township police Detective Tom Keirn said his office received numerous calls Friday from parents who say they suspected inappropriate activity by a local pediatrician arrested Thursday, while others have provided information about incidents years ago in which the doctor made them feel uncomfortable.
During an interview with police, the complaint says, Barto “made admissions to having inappropriate contact with the child,” demonstrating that he was holding the child on his lap with his hand directly over her vaginal area.
“When asked about holding the child in that location, (Barto) described holding her tightly in her crotch area and also sometimes on her waist,” the complaint says.
The victim, during a forensic interview at the county’s Child Advocacy Center, also told authorities that at a prior appointment, Barto “would rest his elbow on her crotch area while he was talking.”
State Attorney General Josh Shapiro issued a press release Thursday about Barto’s arrest, saying the case will be prosecuted by Senior Deputy Attorney General Simquita Bridges.
“These charges are deeply disturbing because the accused is a pediatrician – someone who is in close contact with children and in whom patients and the community place their trust,” Shapiro said.
“We have a zero tolerance policy for the sexual abuse of children, and my office will prosecute any offender to the fullest extent of the law, no matter who they are.”
Barto was accused in 1998 of sexually molesting two girls during office visits, but maintained his innocence and fought the allegations before clearing his name in 2000.
In May of that year, the state Board of Medicine in Harrisburg, which had been investigating the matter for two years, permitted Barto to keep his license and begin serving patients again, reporting there was no evidence to support the allegations.
“It’s like a big weight off of you,” Barto told The Tribune-Democrat afterward, saying the allegations took a toll on his health.
“When this was happening, it was never far from your thoughts, even during the good times.”
Barto was arraigned Thursday via video from Cambria County Prison by District Judge Susan Gindlesperger, who set bail at 10 percent of $10,000.
Barto is not to have contact with juveniles without supervision, according to the conditions of bail set by Gindlesperger.
He is scheduled for a preliminary hearing Jan. 24.
Shapiro is urging the public to contact his office or Richland Township police with any additional information they may have regarding the case.
“We are concerned there could be other victims in this case, and we want to hear from you,” Shapiro said.
“If you know something or saw something, I want you to call my office or local police.
“We’ll pursue every lead we receive.”
Anyone with information related to the investigation of Barto should contact the Office of Attorney General at 412-565-7680 or Richland Township police at 814-266-8333.
The AG’s office said suspected child predators can be reported by calling the Child Predator Hotline at 1-800-385-1044.
Individuals who suspect an online predator or abuse can also send anonymous tips by texting PAKIDS + YOUR TIP to 847411.
Johnstown’s Victim Services Inc. offers a free and confidential 24-hour hotline for crime victims that can be reached at 1-800-755-1983. (LINK)—1/19/2018
Doctor facing charges for inappropriately ‘touching’ 7-year-old, AG says
A doctor is facing assault allegations by another family member.
Johnnie Barto, 70, of Johnstown, was arrested in January for the alleged indecent assault of a patient. More charges were filed in March for the alleged assault of a 14-year-old relative.
The latest allegations against the pediatrician were made by a 7-year-old family member. Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro announced additional charges of indecent assault, corruption of minors, unlawful contact with a minor and endangering the welfare of children under his care against Barto.
“There are few people whom parents trust more with their own children than their pediatrician and their own family – Barto took advantage of that and betrayed their trust,” Shapiro said. “He preyed on young children for his own sexual gratification, and these serious charges reflect the horrendous nature of his crimes.”
The child told investigators she most recently sat on Barto’s lap at a 2017 Christmas party when he “touched” her inappropriately while turning his chair away from other family members to conceal his actions, a statement said. He allegedly used the same chair and method regularly for four years to violate the child.
Shapiro and local law enforcement officials believe the alleged abuse was not contained to the three children who have come forward.
“Our investigators have heard from other victims, and our investigation is active and ongoing,” Shapiro said. “I thank those who have already come forward, and I believe them. I want any victims and parents to hear this from me: Please come forward and share any information you have.” (LINK)—4/09/2018
Pa. authorities to detail new sex assault charges against doctor
Barto has offices in Cambria and Somerset counties
JOHNSTOWN, Pa. (AP) - Authorities in Pennsylvania are set to announce new charges against a pediatrician who is already charged with inappropriately touching a 12-year-old patient.
State Attorney General Josh Shapiro has scheduled a Monday afternoon news conference in Johnstown.
Shapiro says the new charges against Johnnie Barto involve the sexual assault of “multiple, additional victims” including toddlers.
Barto’s medical license was suspended when he was arrested in January on charges including indecent assault. At the time, police said they’d received more than 30 phone calls with information regarding allegations of past abuse by Barto.
Barto’s attorney didn’t immediately respond to a phone message left at his office early Monday.
Barto has offices in Cambria and Somerset counties. (LINK)—7/30/2018
Pediatrician admits to assaulting dozens of young patients
Nearly two decades after Pennsylvania state regulators let him off the hook, a former pediatrician admitted in court Thursday that he sexually assaulted 31 children, most of them patients.
Dr. Johnnie Barto of Johnstown pleaded guilty to sexually abusing two family members and admitted to sexually assaulting more than two dozen patients.
The abuse spanned decades and typically involved girls and boys between ages 8 and 12, prosecutors said. One of the victims was 2 weeks old. Barto molested children in the exam room at Laurel Pediatric Associates in Cambria County and at local hospitals, according to the Pennsylvania attorney general’s office.
Barto, 71, was arrested in January and charged with groping a 12-year-old girl during an office visit several weeks earlier. Suspecting she might not be alone, the attorney general’s office put out a call for other accusers to come forward — and they did, by the dozen, with claims going back to the late 1980s.
“They came to their pediatrician seeking care. Instead they were victimized by a serial sexual abuser hiding in a doctor’s coat,” Attorney General Josh Shapiro said in a videotaped statement released after Barto’s plea.
Barto, whose medical license was suspended, remains behind bars pending his sentencing on multiple counts of aggravated indecent assault, child endangerment and other offenses.
“What happened today was good for everybody, because without a public acknowledgement of wrongdoing, there would be no healing,” said Barto’s lawyer, David Weaver. “This way the healing could begin for his family, his victims and for himself.”
The Pennsylvania Board of Medicine had a chance to stop Barto nearly two decades ago, when he faced administrative charges that he sexually assaulted 4-year-old Lee Ann Berkebile and another young patient during office visits. But state regulators threw out the case and allowed him to keep practicing medicine, and Barto went on to molest more than a dozen more young patients, according to prosecutors.
Berkebile, who is now 29, said Thursday she’s gratified that Barto will be held accountable.
“After 20-some years, I’m just glad it’s finally over, and he can’t do it again. He’s a real sicko,” she told The Associated Press. “He just makes me really disgusted.”
The AP does not typically identify people who say they are victims of sexual assault unless they grant permission, as Berkebile has done. (LINK)—12/20/2018
Midland doctor’s medical license suspended after drunken driving cases
MIDLAND (WJRT) (9/21/2017) - A Midland doctor’s license to practice medicine has been suspended indefinitely after his second drunken driving conviction in four years.
Thursday’s order from the Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs bars Dr. Steven Michael Morris from working as a doctor. The state could reinstate his license or ban him from medical practice for life.
State documents show Morris was involved in a crash on April 15, 2014, in Midland County. He crashed a 2012 Porsche into field after missing a curve, then crashed into a mailbox and got stuck in a ditch while trying to get back on the roadway.
Morris walked away from the scene and police found him nearby at his house, where he refused a breathalyzer test. A subsequent blood draw showed Morris’ blood alcohol content was 0.30 percent, nearly four times the legal limit for drunken driving in Michigan.
State documents say Morris was involved in another crash with the 2012 Porsche in September 2016, when he again went into a ditch. Police caught up to Morris after he walked away and tried to hitchhike back home.
A breathalyzer test administered at the scene show Morris’ blood alcohol content was 0.27 percent while a subsequent blood test showed a blood alcohol content of 0.28 to 0.29 percent – more than three times the legal limit.
Morris didn’t report either drunken driving conviction to the state within 30 days, as required to state law. He self-reported his second conviction in April from the September 2016 crash and was allowed to continue working as a doctor, state documents say.
Morris temporarily stopped working in July after leaving an operating room due to a sudden illness a month earlier. But five days after he returned to work on July 12, Morris again was arrested on a probation violation after another drunken driving arrest.
The state agency that monitors physician licensing status closed his file and forwarded the case to regulators to decide Morris’ status in August. The suspension was handed down on Thursday.
After Morris submits a response to the state’s suspension order, a hearing will be scheduled to decide whether he will be allowed to practice medicine in Michigan again. (LINK)—9/21/2017
A Mid-Michigan plastic surgeon is under scrutiny for taking patients’ money and not performing surgeries.
Dr. Steven Morris of Midland had his medical license suspended in September, but he has it back now.
Authorities say patients prepaid for surgeries, but Morris didn’t perform them. Now, those families are having trouble getting their money back.
Morris is a well-known plastic surgeon in the Great Lakes Bay region. He’s advertised widely on billboards and radio commercials. So when Hayley Pontseele needed some work done, she gave his office a call.
“I work full-time and saved my money up for it,” she said.
Her family prepaid $10,000 for the surgery, about $3,900 of which went to Morris. Surgery was scheduled for Aug. 10, but it was postponed.
“Doctor had to go out of town, he had a family emergency,” Pontseele’s mother Rebecca Harless said.
It was moved to Aug. 31, but right before then – another delay.
“They told us the hospital had issues,” Harless said. “There was scheduling issues with the hospital, so they had to cancel again. This time we are like, ‘No, we took time off work again, we we’re just not going to go through Dr. Morris.’”
Since then, the family has been asking the doctor’s office for their money back. They’ve made repeated calls and visits to the doctor’s office.
“’Hey do you have anything new about my refund, do you know if it’s coming,’” Pontseele recalls asking several times. “They are like, ‘Yeah, its coming, we just don’t know when.’”
In September, they heard that Morris had his medical license suspended because he failed to report to the state’s medical licensing agency that he had two drunk driving convictions, one in 2014 and one last year, along with a probation violation.
But in October, an administrative law judge overturned the license suspension. Morris was back in business.
So Pontseele called the doctor’s office again, looking for her money.
“’No, not at the moment, but the doctor did get his license back, so if you want to schedule your surgery again you can do that,’” Pontseele said the doctor’s staff told her. “I was like, ‘No, I don’t want the surgery, I just want my money back.’”
She’s not the only one looking to get her money back.
Jason Derus’ wife scheduled surgery with Morris in November. She prepaid him $2,400 after a consultation.
Just before the surgery, they got a text from someone at Morris’ office saying the surgery was canceled because of a scheduling conflict at MidMichigan Medical Center in Midland. Derus’ wife called the hospital.
“They told her she wasn’t even scheduled for surgery, that he wasn’t allowed to practice at the Midland hospital,” Derus said.
A spokesman for the hospital confirms that Morris is not currently performing procedures at the hospital. Derus and his wife have called the doctor repeatedly to get their money back.
“He doesn’t even have the decency to call you back to let you know if you are going to get your money back,” Derus said.
They have contacted the Michigan Attorney General’s Office, Midland Police Department and the Midland County Prosecutor’s Office for help recovering their money. All of the agencies say these are civil complaints, not criminal.
The Deruses have complained to the Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs, which handles medical licenses for all providers in the state. The agency says Morris has his license back for now, but his case will go before the Michigan Board of Medicine in March. (LINK)—1/23/2018
State suspends Midland doctor’s medical license for fraud, substance abuse
MIDLAND, MI – The state has suspended the medical license of a Midland doctor for numerous issues including financial fraud, substance abuse and failing to report a criminal conviction in Minnesota.
The Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA) on Monday, May 7, served the order summarily suspending Dr. Steven Michael Morris license to practice medicine.
In conjunction with Attorney General Bill Schuette’s office, LARA also served an accompanying administrative complaint on Morris, alleging he accepted more than $45,000 from seven patients for medical procedures, but failed to provide the promised treatments or administer a refund.
The complaint alleges multiple incidences of significant substance abuse issues that hindered Morris’ ability to practice medicine.
Morris failed to report a criminal conviction to the bureau in a timely manner, according to the complaint. Morris pled guilty to domestic assault on April 7, 2017, in Minnesota and was placed on probation for two years.
Morris was previously summarily suspended by LARA in September 2017 after being convicted of operating a vehicle while intoxicated in both 2014 and 2017.
In April 2014, Midland County Sheriff’s deputies responded to a traffic crash report and found Morris’ 2012 Porsche in a ditch atop a mailbox. Morris fled the scene prior to deputies’ arrival.
Deputies went to Morris’ home and encountered him there. The doctor refused to submit to a preliminary Breathalyzer test, prompting deputies to obtain a warrant for Morris’ blood.
Two months later, Morris was convicted of misdemeanor operating while intoxicated and received a sentence of 93 days in jail-suspended and a year of probation.
Deputies in September 2016 responded to a crash and again found Morris’ 2012 Porsche in a ditch. Again, they found Morris at his home, appearing intoxicated.
Morris, in January of 2017, was convicted of second-offense operating while intoxicated. A Midland County judge sentenced him to a year in jail, with all but five days suspended, and a year of probation.
An order of summary suspension is a temporary measure to protect the public and not a final determination that a licensee has violated the Public Health Code. (LINK)—5/07/2018
NEW YORK MEDICAL BOARD RECORD— 254032 DISCIPLINARY ACTIONS—none listed as of 1/24/2018
NUMC surgeon tried to strangle nurse, Nassau police say
A surgeon at Nassau University Medical Center tried to strangle a registered nurse with an “elastic cord” after they had a disagreement, police said Tuesday.
Venkatesh Sasthakonar, 44, was upset Monday with the nurse because she had given medication to one of his patients at the wrong time, according to the complaint against him.
The doctor then took the elastic cord off his sweatshirt and tightened it around the nurse’s neck, causing her to gasp for air, according to the complaint.
Sasthakonar told her “I should kill you for this,” the complaint said.
He left the hospital and was taken into custody by Nassau police after returning hours later, authorities said.
Police did not release the name of the nurse, 51. She was treated at NUMC for “substantial pain” to her neck and released, police said.
Sasthakonar, of Old Searingtown Road in Albertson, pleaded not guilty at his arraignment Tuesday on charges of felony second-degree strangulation and misdemeanor third-degree assault. He was released on $3,500 cash bail, and an order of protection was issued against him, according to online court records.
His attorney, Melvyn Roth of Garden City, said the strangulation charge was “overblown” and the surgeon did not intend to hurt the nurse over the injection of medicine.
“There was no intent in this situation to do any harm to the nurse whatsoever,” Roth said. “They’ve worked together for 10 years without any kind of incident…We look forward to defending this in court.”
The doctor performs weight loss operations and heads the hospital’s bariatric surgery department, according to both Roth and the hospital’s website.
An NUMC spokesman Tuesday said the hospital is cooperating with the police investigation and has taken action against Sasthakonar. “At no time was patient safety affected,” Brian Finnegan said in emailed statement. “The doctor has been suspended until further notice.”
Roth said his client was half-upset and half-joking in his actions.
“It was blown out of proportion,” the attorney said. “He just wanted to let her know that she had done something that was not according to protocol.”
Roth said he does not believe the nurse had serious injuries and said the patient did not suffer any ill effects.
A 2008 hospital news release indicated Sasthakonar was hired as a member of the hospital’s bariatric surgery department because he was “skilled in performing laparoscopic obesity surgeries with excellent results.” (LINK)—1/23/2018
Judge drops strangulation charges against NUMC surgeon
A Nassau judge Tuesday dropped all charges against a Nassau University Medical Center surgeon who was charged with trying to strangle a registered nurse with an “elastic cord,” after, police said, they had a disagreement over a patient’s medication.
Venkatesh Sasthakonar, a veteran weight loss surgeon, emerged from the courtroom smiling, amid a sea of his supporters — including some fellow doctors and his patients — who cheered for the doctor.
Asked how he was feeling as he left the Mineola court house, he said: “Relieved.”
Nassau County District Court Judge Martin Massell agreed to dismiss the case against Sasthakonar, 44, of Albertson, after Assistant District Attorney Stacey Blanshaft, chief of felony screening, made the request.
“After thoroughly reviewing this case, interviewing witnesses and analyzing surveillance video, it has been determined there is not enough evidence to support that a crime occurred,” said Brendan Brosh, a spokesman for the Nassau district attorney’s office.
Brosh declined to comment on questions about the specific evidence.
In a statement from Sasthakonar’s Garden City-based attorney Bruce Barket’s office, the firm said the doctor was “wrongly accused” and the charges “should have never been brought.”
“Dr. Sasthakonar has maintained his innocence from the moment he was wrongly arrested,” the statement said. “The charges were fabricated by a nurse that he was reprimanding for engaging in a serious breach of pre surgical hospital protocols.”
The firm said it’s planning a news conference at its office late Tuesday morning.
“Dr. Sasthakonar’s arrest on these unfounded charges led to widespread coverage in local, national and international media and caused damage to his reputation and good standing as a highly respected surgeon,” said the statement. “He is thrilled to have his complete exoneration made at the request of the district attorney’s office a mere three weeks after charges were brought. Dr. Sasthakonar is grateful for the diligent investigation conducted by the district attorney’s office, who ultimately agreed that no crime was committed and that charges should have never been brought.”
Sasthakonar had pleaded not guilty after his arrest last month on charges of felony second-degree strangulation and misdemeanor third-degree assault. He had been released on $3,500 cash bail, and an order of protection was issued against him, according to online court records.
According to a criminal complaint filed by authorities after the Jan. 22 incident, authorities alleged that the doctor became upset with the nurse because she had given medication to one of his patients at the wrong time and then took the elastic cord off his sweatshirt and tightened it around the nurse’s neck, causing her to gasp for air.
Sasthakonar told her “I should kill you for this,” the complaint said.
He left the hospital and was taken into custody by Nassau police after returning hours later, authorities said.
Police did not release the name of the 51-year-old nurse. She was treated at NUMC for “substantial pain” to her neck and released, police said.
A spokesman for NUMC could not immediately be reached for comment on the doctor’s status.
NEW YORK MEDICAL BOARD RECORD— 142005 DISCIPLINARY ACTIONS— none listed as of 1/19/2018
Previous criminal investigations into Wayne County doctor arrested for child porn
Eight years ago, two Clyde women filed a criminal complaint against Doctor David Blasczak, alleging that he took nude pictures of them when they were children.
New York State Police conducted a 6-month criminal investigation into the claims and forwarded their findings on to the Wayne County District Attorney’s office. The prosecutor’s office, it appears, failed to file any criminal charges against Blasczak in that case.
Those women now tell News10NBC, had their claims been believed, perhaps other victims could have been spared.
Dr. David Blasczak was arrested last week and charged by federal prosecutors with possessing thousands of images of child pornography. In court paperwork, Blasczak also admits to taking naked pictures of a number of children who came to his practice, falsely telling their parents he was conducting medical research into child abuse. He also told prosecutors, when his daughter was young, he would take pictures of children that came over for sleepovers and sometimes touched them inappropriately.
With the support of her friends, Krystal (last name withheld) is now able to talk about what she says happened to her inside Dr. Blasczak’s office in Clyde when she was 8 years old.
“We went in and he took pictures of me, and my mom would help him get the pictures he wanted and needed,” she recalled.
Years later, while in therapy, Krystal, who was estranged from her mother, decided to call her and ask about it.
“As an adult she said it was to make sure my father wasn’t molesting me, or he wanted it for research,” Krystal said. “But she would get paid for it, either cash or he’d give her a prescription for pills. She’d always promise us you could get some candy afterwards and when you’re that young, you’re just like ‘alright, well, he’s our doctor and my mom says it’s okay,’” she told News10NBC.
But as an adult she realized it wasn’t okay. In 2010, she filed a report with New York State Police.
“Nothing was done, I didn’t hear from anybody or anything,” she said.
A spokesman for New York State Police confirmed the agency did investigate Krystal’s complaint and the complaint of another woman with the same allegations. Troopers spent six months interviewing numerous people, including Dr. Blasczak, who said at the time the pictures were for research purposes. In October of 2010, Troopers handed their findings over to the Wayne County District Attorney’s office.
The current Wayne County District Attorney, Michael Calarco, told News10NBC the office has no record of the case, which means criminal charges were never filed. When asked whether the case had ever been presented to a grand jury, Calarco couldn’t say. While Calarco was with the District Attorney’s office in 2010, he was an Assistant District Attorney handling town and village courts, and says he does not have any recollection of this case.
The District Attorney who was in office at the time is Rick Healy, who is now a sitting County Court Judge. Judge Healy’s office told News10NBC that because of his current position, he can’t talk about past cases. News10NBC has also reached out to other members of the District Attorney’s office who were employed at the time of this investigation, to see if they can shed any light into why criminal charges were not filed. So far, no one has returned those calls.
For Krystal, not having answers is tough.
“He (Dr. Blasczak) ruined my life,” she said. “I thought I could put it past me, for 20 years but I can’t.”
“When I saw he had been arrested last week, I felt relief that he can’t hurt anybody else and he’s finally going to get what he deserves,” she said.
News10NBC previously reported that the Village of Newark Police Department also took a complaint about Dr. Blasczak back in 2015 from a couple who said they saw him take a cell phone picture up the skirt of their 5-year old daughter while at kindergarten orientation. The Newark Police Chief said Blasczak was at the event at the elementary school with his granddaughter. At the time, an officer looked at his phone and didn’t see any questionable images, so no criminal charges were filed. In an interview last week with News10NBC, Chief David Christler said in hindsight, it’s possible the images had been deleted or hidden somehow. Christer is now working with federal investigators to see if they recovered any images that might match. (LINK)—1/23/2018
Feds: Wayne County doctor possessed child porn, took graphic photos of children in office
A Wayne County family doctor was arrested on child pornography accusations Thursday.
Dr. David Blasczak, 69, who works with Finger Lakes Health, is accused of receiving and possessing child pornography, according to federal prosecutors. If convicted, he faces a maximum of 20 years in federal prison.
According to the criminal complaint, Blasczak admitted to buying child pornography. One thumb drive contained more than 1,000 images, prosecutors allege. Blasczak, who lives in Newark, has a family medical practice that includes adult and pediatric care at Clyde Family Health Center.
A Homeland Security investigation into a password-protected child pornography website identified Blasczak as making 10 purchases of child pornography from the website, according to the criminal complaint. He allegedly paid $100 per file.
He is a pediatrician, and admitted to possessing child pornography, according to the criminal complaint.
While being interviewed by investigators, he told agents that he photographed children in his office and paid some parents to photograph the children’s genitals and told the parents it was for “medical research.” He said he never abused patients.
He also admitted engaging in sexually abusive behavior with his daughter’s friends during sleepovers at his home, prosecutors said. Blasczak told investigators he touched his daughter’s friends while they were sleeping and also took photographs. “Blasczak admitted to being sexually aroused by his daughter’s friends,” according to the criminal complaint.
U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. said the initial investigation began in 2012, when Homeland Security Investigations agents in Phoenix began looking at the “password-protected, fee-based website that was selling compressed files of child pornography.”
In May 2017, HSI agents identified a payment processor, and that service was tied to Blasczak in September, Kennedy said. Blasczak allegedly made purchases from the site between September 2015 and April 2017. Each of the purchases contained images of child pornography, according to the 12-page criminal complaint.
Investigators executed a search warrant at Blasczak’s home Thursday morning and discovered “thousands of images of child pornography” on a laptop, a digital camera, multiple SD cards, multiple thumb drives and two SanDisk memory sticks, Kennedy said.
Blasczak was interviewed by HSI special agents in a vehicle outside his home. He admitted to being the “sole user and user of the email account associated with the receipt of child pornography through” the suspected website, according to the criminal complaint.
He said the children depicted in the pornographic images were between the ages of 5 and 10, and he used the word “prepubescent” when speaking to investigators.
Blasczak allegedly admitted paying the parents of his juvenile patients to photograph them on eight different occasions and “conducting his own independent research about child sex abuse,” Kennedy said. “He admitted that the research wasn’t sanctioned by any hospital, university, or other medical organization. He claimed that he took the images for teaching purposes, but he further admitted that he kept the images for his own gratification.”
He kept the photographs in a “teaching” file in his office in Clyde, the criminal complaint said. Blasczak later “admitted that he has masturbated” to the pictures he took of his juvenile patients.
Blasczak previously worked as the Wayne County assistant coroner.
He made an initial appearance in federal court Thursday and is being held in federal custody without bail. He is due back in court at 9:30 a.m. Friday.
Authorities had contact with Blasczak’s practice Thursday. “Our understanding is that there is another physician who works there (to care for patients),” Kennedy said.
Matthew Scarpino, deputy special agent in charge at the Homeland Security Investigations Buffalo office, said one of HSI’s “highest priorities is child exploitation investigations.”
“Given that Dr. Blasczak holds a position of trust in the community, coupled with the nature of the charges that have been filed, we proceeded in our investigation with the highest level of care and sensitivity,” Scarpino said.
“We are asking for the public’s assistance. … We believe there is a high probability that members in the local community have been impacted by the doctor’s actions.”
Deb Rosen, executive director of the Bivona Child Advocacy Center, said, “These findings come on the heels of a national scandal related to sexual abuse perpetrated by a doctor in the U.S. gymnastics organization and I think at no time has this country been more conscious of the threats to children’s safety, particularly those perpetrated by trusted members of the community.”
She noted the importance of being a “safe and calm presence” for children and added that Bivona will help however it can. Rosen added that in about 90 percent of child sex abuse cases, the perpetrator is someone who is known and trusted by the child and the family.
Authorities encourage anyone with information regarding the investigation to contact the HSI Buffalo office (716) 464-5931. You can also email tips to [email protected]. HSI victim witness specialists will be available to assist parents and guardians.
Those with general questions about sexual abuse or those would like guidance about how to discuss these issues with children are asked to contact Bivona Child Advocacy Center at (585) 935-7800.
Kennedy said federal authorities are working with local law enforcement as the investigation continues. He said they wanted to get the word out quickly because of the potential of victims within the community.
Former Wayne County doctor pleads guilty to child porn charges
ROCHESTER, NY (WROC) - - The Wayne County doctor arrested earlier this year, accused of buying child porn online and taking photos of his patients, has entered a guilty plea.
Dr. David Blasczak now faces up 60 years behind bars. In court Tuesday, Blasczak admitted to sexually abusing patients and friends of his daughter.
In January, he was arrested after investigators say they found his credit card number used on a website selling child porn. Prosecutors said Blasczak made ten purchases of files that contained between 500 and 2,000 photos each from the site.
Investigators also found a device with thousands of images of child porn on it.
Blasczak worked as a doctor in the village of Clyde and lived in Newark. (LINK)—8/14/2018
[Note: Twin brother of Dr. Bryan Williams, also charged with sexual assault.]
OHIO MEDICAL BOARD RECORD— 35.088819 DISCIPLINARY ACTIONS— No actions listed as of 1/17/2018
OSU surgeon on leave after past accusations of patient rape surface
A surgeon at the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center is on administrative leave after allegations emerged that he raped patients years ago.
Dr. Ryan Williams is a colorectal surgeon who joined Ohio State in August 2017.
An investigation by USA Today published Friday revealed accusations by two female patients of sexual assault against Williams.
The alleged incidents happened in 2008 and 2009, while Williams was working at the Cleveland Clinic.
A police report obtained by 10TV includes the complaint by the patient from 2009.
The woman came forward in 2014 after she said memories emerged of the alleged sexual abuse.
In the report, she says she went to see Williams about a condition, and he advised surgery.
She said she was alone with Williams in his Westlake office when he gave her pills and a cup of water. She reports becoming drowsy.
She says she lost consciousness but felt him inserting something into her.
When she regained consciousness, she said she could feel her “entire body being shoved.”
She says she pushed herself up and looked over her shoulder to see the doctor covering himself with his hand.
“His pants were unbuttoned and unzipped,” she says.
She says she began to lose consciousness again, and that Williams proceeded with the surgery.
For the next five years, she says she only had “fragmented memories from the surgery…and the events of that day.”
Those memories came with “a feeling of terror that was so intense that I felt I had to suppress it.”
In a Westlake police report, the patient says once she remembered the incident in full, she reported it to a Cleveland Clinic ombudsman.
An inspector with the Cleveland Clinic police department investigated, then contacted Westlake Police.
The Westlake Police Department revealed it had investigated a similar accusation against Williams by a different patient in 2008.
During an interview with Westlake Police, Williams denied any sexual misconduct.
According to USA Today, the first patient said she was receiving a rectal exam from Williams when, according to a medical assistant, she ran out of the room without pants, shouting that he had raped her.
The patient said she saw Williams’ genitals in his hand.
The medical assistant told Westlake Police the patient shouted, “Why did he do it? Why did you do this?”
The assistant told police Williams responded, “I don’t know.”
According to USA Today, the police report said semen was found in Williams’ office, which he explained was “the result of masturbation to relieve stress.”
USA Today reports that the patient filed a police report, but that Williams wasn’t prosecuted criminally.
[Kristen Fehr, victim]
The article says the patient sued Williams and the Cleveland Clinic, resulting in a confidential settlement.
According to police records obtained by 10tv, the Cuyahoga County Prosecutor’s Office “determined although the cases could be indicted together at Grand Jury, a judge would order them to be tried separately. They felt that neither case would be a solid case on its own and, therefore, there would be no presentation of (the second case) to the Grand Jury.”
The Cleveland Clinic would only say that Williams left the clinic for reasons unrelated to the accusations, but declined to elaborate, calling it a “confidential personnel” matter.
A statement from the OSU Wexner Medical Center says, “These disturbing allegations were unknown to Ohio State at the time of (Williams’) hiring. The university takes these allegations of past misconduct seriously, and Dr. Williams was placed on administrative leave in December. We are actively investigating to ensure that patient safety at Ohio State was never compromised.”
OSU says a preliminary review indicates that all background check procedures were followed in the hiring of Williams. It says, “Background checks include information from the Ohio State Medical Board, Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation, the National Practitioner Databank and the previous employer and peers.”
According to the police report obtained by 10TV, Ohio’s State Medical Board was investigating the allegations against Williams as early as 2013, and then again in 2015. Records say a Medical Board Investigator told police he was “bothered” that “nothing was done to Williams” in the first investigation, which was closed in 2013.
In a statement to 10TV, The Medical Board said, “Ohio law makes complaints received by the medical board and board investigations confidential (Ohio Revised Code 4731.22(F)). If an investigation yields a board action, that would be public.”
“I’m not able to confirm nor deny any complaint/investigation on Ryan Williams.” (LINK)—1/11/2018
Former Cleveland Clinic doctor on leave due to sexual assault allegations reacts to similar accusations against “estranged” identical twin
CLEVELAND, Ohio – Dr. Ryan Williams, a former Cleveland Clinic doctor placed on administrative leave from his job at Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center for investigation of previous sexual assault allegations, says he’s “horrified” by similar accusations against his identical twin.
Ryan’s twin, Dr. Bryan Williams, practiced as an anesthesiologist and pain management specialist in Maryland until his license was permanently revoked there last month following sexual assault allegations from seven patients.
Ryan, a colorectal surgeon, was recently placed on leave from OSU Wexner, where he started practicing in August after leaving the Clinic. Two patients have accused Ryan of sexual assault during examinations at the Clinic in 2008 and 2009, allegations first reported by USA Today on Jan. 5. He has not been charged with a crime.
In both cases, the hospital systems that employed the Williams brothers at the time of the alleged assaults stand accused by their patients of failing to respond in a way that would quickly and adequately protect other potential victims.
The 44-year-old brothers contest the accusations. Ryan told The Plain Dealer he is “essentially estranged” from his brother and hasn’t had any meaningful contact with him in at least five years. Ryan said his twin cut off contact with everyone in their family, and he does not know why.
Bryan could not be reached for comment, and his lawyers did not respond to requests to speak about his case. However, in hearings before the medical board, he has denied the allegations.
The Williams brothers are identical twins, so similar in appearance “you couldn’t tell them apart for anything,” according to a basketball coach and an administrator at their Michigan high school. The brothers attended Portage Northern High school in Portage, Michigan, and were basketball stars and standout students, according to a former teammate.
They both attended Albion College and then received their medical degrees from Michigan State University College of Human Medicine; Ryan in 2000 and Bryan in 2002.
Ryan said the two have never been really close, however. “We did attend the same [college] but we only lived together for one year.”
Ryan learned about the allegations against his brother through friends that live near Bryan, he said. Ryan said he did not speak to his brother about the case, or about the accusations against himself.
“I through the years have reached out previously with no response. After a while I just stopped trying,” Ryan said.
Bryan Williams, accused in Maryland
Bryan was accused by at least seven women of inappropriate sexual conduct during examinations starting in 2013. The doctor was working at Kaiser Permanente in Largo and Kensington, Maryland, at the time, according to disciplinary records filed with the state medical board.
Bryan’s medical license was permanently revoked in Maryland in December of 2017 following almost two years of hearings. His license to practice in Virginia and the District of Columbia has been suspended.
Seven patients told the state medical board the doctor inappropriately touched them during examinations, and the board concluded that Bryan sexually violated four of the patients. The violations included both anal and vaginal penetration, as well as fondling.
The Maryland-based physician denied the allegations during a hearing before that state’s medical board and argued against the credibility of the patients making complaints. In one case, Bryan defended himself by saying he could not have digitally penetrated the anus of a patient in the way she described because she was too “large.” In another, he said the patient lacked credibility because she did not recall if the doctor was seated or standing when she says he fondled her genitals with an ungloved hand.
He also proposed a suspension, rather than a permanent revocation of his medical license, as a more appropriate punishment.
No criminal charges have been filed against Bryan.
He has been named in multiple malpractice lawsuits, along with his former employer, Kaiser Permanente. The suits allege sexual assault and that Kaiser allowed the doctor to continue practicing after being made aware of the first allegation, according to news reports. Bryan was fired in October of 2014.
In an emailed statement Kaiser said, “the safety of our patients is our highest priority, and we have no tolerance for behavior that puts our patients at risk.” The health system said it has reached out to each patient who has made allegations against Bryan “and sought to address their concerns.”
Ryan Williams, accused in Westlake
Ryan, who started working at the Clinic in 2006, was accused by two women while working at a hospital location in Westlake.
Two patients, Lachelle Duncan and Kristin Fehr, accused Ryan of anally raping them in 2008 and in 2009, according to police reports and interviews with Fehr. Duncan sued the Clinic and came to a confidential settlement agreement with the health system, according to court documents. Fehr said she contacted the Clinic but then called the Westlake Police Department after feeling discouraged by the Clinic’s investigation.
No criminal charges have been filed against Ryan.
Ryan maintains his innocence. “Multiple authorities and parties found that I did nothing wrong and nothing suggestive of doing anything wrong, and I was found innocent,” he said. “It’s been very devastating and heartbreaking.”
His wife, Bridget, said Ryan has cooperated completely and that it’s difficult for the family to be under public scrutiny again.
“Anyone that knows him who saw the article wouldn’t even question [his innocence],” she said. “We have a community of our church, friends, neighbors and family that I didn’t have to say anything to.”
Fehr has accused the Clinic of failing to act when alerted to sexual assault allegations against the doctor, and leaving him to practice for years and potentially harm other patients.
“Initially, I figured I’d go to the Cleveland Clinic, and they would handle it. They just covered it up,” Fehr told The Plain Dealer. “They didn’t fire the doctor.”
Fehr told the Plain Dealer she wanted to sue Ryan, but she can no longer file a medical malpractice claim, as the one-year statute of limitations has expired. The Cuyahoga County Prosecutor’s office declined to present criminal charges to a grand jury in 2016, according to police reports.
The Clinic said in a statement last week that the hospital system immediately reported the accusations to appropriate law enforcement agencies and “cooperated fully with the investigations.”
“No [criminal] charges were made against the physician and he passed a polygraph test,” the Clinic said. Ryan continued to practice at the Clinic without interruption until his departure last June. He completed his residency at the system’s Fairview Hospital before becoming a full-time staff member in 2006.
The Clinic told The Plain Dealer on Jan. 12th that the hospital system is forming a special committee that will “be responsible for the oversight of policies and procedures related to caregiver conduct and safety of patients and caregivers.” The committee will answer to the board of directors and is expected to “add a new level of transparency” to operations, according to a spokeswoman.
Ryan was hired by OSU on Aug. 1, 2017, and was placed on administrative leave in December in response to USA Today’s investigation.
“These disturbing allegations were unknown to Ohio State at the time of his hiring,” Dr. Andrew Thomas, chief clinical officer of OSU’s Wexner Medical Center said in a statement posted online. The hospital completed a background check on Ryan, which included “information from the State Medical Board of Ohio, Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation, the National Practitioner Data Bank and the previous employer and peers,” according to the statement.
The Clinic doesn’t have any record of OSU requesting documents about Ryan during his hiring, but if OSU did “our practice would have been to provide dates of employment, any clinical restrictions and position held,” according to a spokeswoman.
There are no current or previous state medical board disciplinary actions against Ryan in Ohio and his license remains active.
Ryan said he supports the decision by OSU to place him on administrative leave and that he’s hopeful that they’ll come to the same conclusion that prosecutors in Cleveland did and he’ll be able to return to work.
“If they feel that harm is going to come to one of their patients, I support them doing the thorough investigation,” he said.
He does not, however, want to be judged by the actions of others, including his identical twin brother.
“I can’t control what anyone else does, just as no one can control what I do,” he said. (LINK)—1/17/2018
A local chiropractor was charged Monday in connection to a reported sexual assault incident that occurred in Aiken County last summer.
Maurice Shekiel Wallace, 41, of Boxelder Drive, is charged with third-degree criminal sexual conduct, according to jail records.
Investigators believe on July 5, 2017, Wallace engaged in sexual battery with a victim who was “mentally incapacitated or physically helpless at the time,” according to an arrest warrant provided by the Aiken County Sheriff’s Office.
The incident happened between 8 and 9:30 p.m. on July 5 at Spine Doctors of Aiken at 2678 Whiskey Road, according to the warrant.
Wallace provides chiropractic care at Spine Doctors of Aiken, which is his independent practice, according to his biography on the Spine Doctors website.
Following an investigation into the incident, Wallace was arrested Monday and taken to the Aiken County detention center, where he was released the same day on a $15,000 bond.
The Aiken County Sheriff’s Office has not yet released the incident report connected with this case. (LINK)—1/16/2018
Lexington doctor arrested after report he showed up for surgery intoxicated
LEXINGTON, Ky. (WKYT) - Lexington Police arrested a doctor on a charge of public intoxication on Monday afternoon. Dr. Theodore Gerstle, a plastic surgeon, was taken into custody on Shady Lane, not far from Baptist Health Lexington.
Ruth Ann Childers, a spokeswoman for Baptist Health Lexington, says the hospital received a report of a physician who showed up for surgery while possibly intoxicated. According to Childers, hospital administration put their procedures in place and the chief medical officer spoke to Dr. Gerstle. Childers says Dr. Gerstle decided to leave the hospital on foot after being confronted and that’s when police were called.
“Patient safety is always our number one concern. This will be thoroughly investigated,“ said Childers in a statement.
According to the website for Lexington Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Dr. Gerstle is a physician at the practice. Childers says Dr. Gerstle’s privileges at Baptist Health Lexington have been suspended and he will not be practicing until the issue has been investigated and resolved. Childers tells WKYT that Dr. Gerstle had only one procedure scheduled for Monday and it had not yet started when the allegation against him was made. (LINK)—1/15/2018
Plastic surgeon ‘turned up DRUNK to operate’ then fled the clinic as his coworkers called 911
Dr Theodore Gerstle was arrested on Monday after hospital staff suspected the surgeon was drunk
The plastic surgeon left the Lexington, Kentucky hospital on foot and made it only two blocks away before he was arrested on Shady Lane
He is now being held at the Fayette County jail on public intoxication charges
A Kentucky plastic surgeon was arrested after he allegedly showed up drunk to perform an operation on Monday.
The hospital staff at Baptist Health Lexington were suspicious that Dr Theodore Gerstle might be intoxicated when he arrived for the only surgery he had scheduled that day, according to the Lexington Herald Leader.
The chief medical officer on duty reportedly confronted Dr Gerstle about his apparent state before the surgeon got into the operating room.
Dr Gerstle left the hospital on foot and was arrested blocks away after the hospital staff reported the incident to the police.
Plastic surgeon Dr Theodore Gerstle was escorted to jail by police officers in Lexington, Kentucky after he allegedly showed up for a surgery drunk on Monday
According to his practice’s website, Dr Gerstle is board-certified and is ‘the only Harvard-trained’ plastic surgeon in Lexington, though he completed medical school at the University of Louisville in Kentucky.
Daily Mail Online called his office for comment, but the staff was unwilling to speak about his arrest.
Still in full surgical scrubs and lab coat, but no outerwear, the surgeon walked out of Baptist Health hospital and onto the snowy sidewalk in Lexington, where temperatures hovered in the upper 20s on Monday.
Dr Gerstle only made it a couple blocks before police arrested him on Shady Lane.
The officers took him to the Fayette County jail, where he is now being held on public intoxication charges.
It is unclear if Dr Gerstle had a track record of drunkenness on the job.
However, at least one Lexington resident, Alexander Sterling, had complained about the surgeon on Facebook.
‘Transmen do not go to Dr Theodore Gerstle MD of Lexington KY for top surgery. He royally f***** up Bryson Thompson’s chest and is not taking responsibility,’ Sterling wrote last March.
The warning accompanied a graphic picture of a bare chest - presumably Thompson’s - with jagged scarring around the nipples, one of which has signs of infection.
Dr Gerstle was charged with public intoxication at the Fayette County jail (right) after the private plastic surgeon (left) left Baptist Health Lexington, where he had scheduled a surgery
The scars look nothing like the straight straight-lined scars below the area where breast tissue would have been that typically remain after top surgery.
Unfortunately, drinking problems are surprisingly common among surgeons.
A study of more than 25,000 American surgeons conducted in 2012 revealed that more than 15 percent of them probably struggled with some form of alcohol dependence or abuse.
According to the Herald Leader, Baptist Health has suspended Dr Gerstle’s permissions to work at the hospital.
His license status remains active in the Kentucky Board of Medical Licensure’s database, but substance abuse is considered a violation of the state’s Medical Malpractice Act, warranting ‘discipline,’ the site says. (LINK)—1/16/2018
Local Veterinarian Accused Of Abusing Animals, Intimidating Witnesses
BALTIMORE (WJZ) — A shocking animal cruelty case in Baltimore, where a veterinarian is charged with abusing animals.
He was supposed to cure sick animals, but instead, police say Gregory Burbelo was abusing them.
The Boston Street Animal Hospital is still open, but the accused veterinarian no longer works there, and investigators say their could be more victims.
It is a stomach-turning betrayal, that has some pet owners stunned.
“It’s pretty unbelievable what happened. I was pretty shocked to find out,” said one pet owner.
Detectives say Burbelo physically attacked some of his pet patients.
The alleged attacks happened at the Boston Street Animal Hospital, where Burbelo worked.
One man who brings his pet to that hospital told WJZ’s Amy Yensi he saw no signs of abuse.
“Nothing that would make me think he would ever mistreat an animal,” he said.
Police charged the 57-year-old vet with multiple counts of animal cruelty after a month-long investigation.
Detectives also found that Burbelo threatened employees, so they would not report him. He is also charged with witness intimidation.
“We know that he punched and also slapped the animals with a clipboard,” Baltimore Police Department Cpt. Jarron Jackson. “Punched and smacked with an open hand and closed fist.”
No one would talk to WJZ in person, but the hospital sent the following statement:
“We want our clients and the public to know that we set and enforce the highest possible standards of care.”
Burbelo’s attorney could not be reached for comment.
The Maryland State Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners confirmed it is “aware of the situation, but cannot comment on an ongoing investigation.”
Those who trusted the disgraced vet say there’s no excuse for violence.
“Anybody mistreating animals, there’s a special place in hell for them,” the man who brought his animal to the hospital said.
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