Former UCLA gynecologist sentenced after pleading guilty to sexually assaulting patients at school
A former doctor at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), was sentenced to 11 years in prison Tuesday, after he was accused of sexually assaulting his patients as an obstetrician-gynecologist at the school.
James Heaps, 69, pleaded guilty to 13 counts, the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office announced in a news release, including six felony counts of sexual penetration of an unconscious person, five felony counts of sexual battery by fraud, and two felony counts of sexual exploitation of a patient.
Throughout his 35-year career at UCLA, the university spent nearly $700 million to settle civil claims made against him.
He will also be required to register as a sex offender for life.
APPEALS COURT OVERTURNS CONVICTION OF UCLA GYNECOLOGIST OVER ISSUE AT TRIAL
Heaps’s plea comes after an appeals court in California determined he was denied a fair trial in 2023 due to concerns that one juror did not speak enough English to adequately carry out their responsibilities.
At the time, his attorney, Leonard Levine, told The Associated Press that, “justice is slow, but it’s finally been done.”
“I believe it’s just a matter of time before he is totally exonerated,” he added.
Levine did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
Prosecutors, however, framed the outcome differently.
“Today marks the second time that we’re holding James Heaps responsible for the unconscionable crimes he committed while being entrusted with the safety of his patients,” Los Angeles District Attorney Nathan J. Hochman said, according to the release.
“For years, Heaps exploited the sacred trust between a doctor and patient to prey on vulnerable victims during medical procedures. This sentence ensures that Heaps will finally be held accountable for the harm he inflicted under the guise of care. To the survivors: I hope today brings you closure knowing that the individual who violated your trust has been definitively brought to justice. To all survivors, please know that we believe you and we will fight for you.”
The Los Angeles District Attorney’s Office did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
In 2023, the doctor’s former patients claimed he groped them, made suggestive comments, or conducted unnecessarily invasive exams at the college’s student health center, the Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center, or in his campus office.
The women who filed lawsuits against Heaps claimed the school ignored their comments and allowed the abuse to continue.
Fox News Digital’s Greg Normand-Diamond contributed to this report.
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