Dr. William Thompson IV.Photo:Orange County District Attorney’s Office
Orange County District Attorney’s Office
A doctor in Orange County, California has been charged with sexually assaulting nine male patients between 2016 and 2020, authorities say.
The district attorney’s office alleged that Thompson committed the assaults under the pretense of performing medically necessary exams.
Dr. William Thompson IV.Orange County District Attorney’s Office
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“Many of Dr. Thompson’s patients depended on him to provide life-saving care and he exploited those vulnerabilities for his own sexual gratification,” Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer said in the press statement.
“Unfortunately, because of his specialized area of practice, Dr. Thompson put the very patients he was supposed to treat with professionalism and dignity, in a situation where they may have felt they had no other choice but to be subjected to sexual abuse in order to receive the treatment they needed to continue to live," he continued.
Thompson did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.
The district attorney’s office also said that Thompson was previously arrested in April 2021 on suspicion of driving under the influence. At the time of his arrest, Thompson had a blood alcohol level of .38, authorities stated — adding that the doctor pleaded guilty to one misdemeanor count of driving under the influence and one misdemeanor count of driving under the influence with a blood alcohol content of more than .08%.
Orange County District Attorney’s Office did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s inquiry as to whether Thompson has an attorney representing him.
If you or someone you know has been a victim of sexual abuse, text “STRENGTH” to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741 to be connected to a certified crisis counselor.
source: people.com
