UCLA gynecologist appears in LA court as he faces 21 counts of sexual abuse of his patients over the course of nine years
A former gynecologist at the University of California, Los Angeles appeared in court on Tuesday as he faces 21 counts of sexually assaulting his patients over the course of nine years.
Dr. James Heaps, 64, appeared at an arraignment hearing at Los Angeles Superior Court.
He was indicted by a grand jury last week on multiple charges of sexually assaulting seven women, including one patient who was unconscious during his time serving as the gynecologist for UCLA.
He faces multiple counts of sexual battery by fraud, sexual exploitation of a patient and sexual penetration of an unconscious person by fraudulent representation between 2009 and 2018. If convicted on all charges, Heaps faces up to 91 years in prison.
He has previously denied the charges and any wrongdoing.
Dr. James Heaps, a former gynecologist at the University of California, Los Angeles, appeared in Los Angeles Superior Court on Tuesday for an arraignment on 21 counts of sexual abuse
Heaps has pleaded not guilty to these charges and has denied any wrongdoing, with his attorney, Leonard Levine, telling the Los Angeles Times that he is 'confident he will be exonerated at trial'
'Dr. Heaps is confident he will be exonerated at trial,' his attorney, Leonard Levine, told The Los Angeles Times.
Heaps was first arrested in June 2019, prompting some 300 women to come forward and accuse him of sexual misconduct, claiming he touched them without gloves on during breast and pelvic exams, made lewd comments and simulated sexual intercourse, often roughly, with a transvaginal ultrasound wand.
One of the accusers, Gabriela Vasquez, a former medical assistant at UCLA, spoke on The Today Show about her experience with Heaps in January 2017.
'He was introducing the ultrasound and was simulating as he was having sexual intercourse with me,' she recalled. 'And I said, "This is not OK, this is not right."
She said she immediately called her supervisor to report the incident, but nothing was done until December 2017, nearly one year later.
In this June 26, 2019, file photo, Heaps, center, his wife Deborah, left, and defense attorney Tracy Green leave Los Angeles Superior Court. Heaps was taken into custody Monday on $1.19million bail after the grand jury's indictment was unsealed
Three of Heaps' 300 accusers, (left to right), Gaby Vasquez, Ellen Cater and Julie Orsatti, spoke out about their experiences with him on the Today Show in 2019
Julie Orsatti also claimed she saw Heaps every few months between 2017 and 2018.
'He had his hands all over my body,' she said. 'Using his entire hand and palm of his hand all over, lingering for too long and telling me that my breasts were beautiful.'
And Ellen Carter said she visited Heaps' office just two days before his office was closed down, recounting: 'I walked in, got undressed, he sexually assaulted me.'
Heaps' medical license has since been suspended.
The University of California system announced in November that it agreed to a $73 million settlement in a class-action lawsuit, under which 6,600 patients could receive a payout even if they have not accused him of any wrongdoing.
The patients can seek $250,000 or more in certain cases. A panel of experts will decide how much each patient is paid based on her experiences.
More than 100 of Heaps' former patients have also filed individual lawsuits, with California Governor Gavin Newsom approving a measure last year to extend the amount of time victims can file legal claims against Heaps and UCLA.
Victims now have until the end of the year to submit their claims.
The University of California system in November agreed to a $73million settlement in a class-action lawsuit
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