Newport Beach doctor charged for sexually assaulting 9 male patients
The Orange County District Attorney charged a Newport Beach infectious disease doctor for allegedly sexually assaulting nine male patients.
Prosecutors claimed that Dr. William Thompson IV specialized in treating members of the LBGTQ+ community and disguised his sexual assaults as "necessary medical exams."
The 56-year-old faces 13 felony counts relating to the sexual assaults:
- Eight felony counts of sexual penetration by means of fraudulent representation of professional purpose,
- Three felony counts of sexual battery by fraud
- And two felony counts of forcible oral copulation
He could face a maximum sentence of 30 years to life if convicted. If he is convicted on all counts, an additional 25 years will be tacked on to his sentence.
"Many of Dr. Thompson's patients depended on him to provide life-saving care and he exploited those vulnerabilities for his own sexual gratification," said Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer. "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."
According to prosecutors, the alleged sexual assaults happened between 2016 and 2020. During this time, Thompson allegedly performed medically unnecessary anal exams on several men and forced a male patient to perform oral sex.
Authorities arrested Thompson at his medical practice on Sept. 20, following a joint investigation by the Department of Consumer Affairs and the Newport Beach Police Department.
Investigators have asked any other potential victims to call the Newport police at (949) 644-3582. Anonymous tips can be made to 1-800-550-6273.
Thompson is scheduled to be arraigned on Nov. 2, 2023. He is currently out on $100,000 bond.
