When Doctors Commit Sexual Assault

A former UCLA physician charged with sexual battery is only the latest in the string of cases in which trusted medical professionals are accused of preying on college students.

The allegations were shocking enough -- a trusted, longtime doctor purportedly exploiting vulnerable patients. But they were compounded because of the myriad incidents in academe involving physicians and alleged sexual assault, including UCLA’s neighbor, the University of Southern California. read more »

What is Dr. James Mason Heaps accused of?

James Mason Heaps, 62, worked part-time at UCLA's health center from 1983 to 2010 and had staff privileges at the school's medical center from 1988 until last year.

He has been charged with two counts of sexual battery by fraud and one count of sexual exploitation in allegations relating to two patients. read more »

UCLA did not report sexual assault post on Yelp

A spokeswoman for UCLA Health says medical system officials were aware of a 2015 Yelp posting alleging a sexual assault by a gynecologist but did not reach out to the victim or inform police.

A Los Angeles-area woman tells The Associated Press she posted about her alleged 2008 assault on Yelp after seeing positive reviews there about Dr. James Heaps, who has since been criminally charged in connect with two other sexual abuses. read more »