A gynecologist who used to work for the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) has been found guilty of sexually abusing female students.
On Thursday, former UCLA gynecologist Dr. James Heaps was found guilty on five counts of sexually abusing female patients in a criminal case that followed after the university paid almost $700 million in settlement money. He was found not guilty on seven of the 21 counts against him.
Several women say Heaps made suggestive, inappropriate comments, and others said he groped them and performed unnecessary invasive exams.
Heaps, an OBGYN of 35 years, was indicted last year on a slew of counts, including, sexual battery by fraud, sexual exploitation of a patient and sexual penetration of an unconscious person by fraudulent representation, KTLA reports. The sexual assault incidents happened between 2009 and 2018. Heaps claims all of the accusations made against him are false.
On UCLA’s end, the school has paid out $700 million in settlements to hundreds of Heaps’ patients. KTLA reports that the school did share that it was made aware of sex abuse complaints about Heaps back in December 2017, which sparked an investigation. Heaps, 65, will be sentenced on Nov. 17.
