SAN FRANCISCO, February 18, (THEWILL) – A Charlotte, North Carolina based medical doctor, Dr. Fidelis I. Uwensuyi-Edosomwan, 52, has been arrested and released on bail after at least 16 women, who were his patients accused him of sexually assaulting them during examinations.
Uwensuyi-Edosomwan was initially taken into custody after two female patients filed complaints, while 14 other patients came forward subsequently. The doctor has been suspended from practice by the NC medical board, according to a news report on WBTV website.
Dr. Uwensuyi-Edosomwanm was arrested on January 30, on two counts of second-degree sexual offense and three counts of sexual battery and given a $57,500 bond.
On January 2, a woman told police that she went to a medical facility in the 1800-block of Milton Road for a medical examination. During that exam, the victim said, Dr. Uwensuyi-Edosomwan sexually assaulted her.
Then on January 14, a second woman reported that she was also sexually assaulted by Dr. Uwensuyi-Edosomwan at a medical facility in the 700-block of West Sugar Creek Road.
Police said on Feb. 12 that 14 more women had come forward claiming they were victimized by Uwensuyi-Edosomwan. They say the allegations are being reviewed by detectives to determine if there were any criminal acts committed.
According to the arrest warrants seen by WBTV, Uwensuyi-Edosomwan “Unlawfully, willfully, and feloniously did engage in sex offense with [Victim 1] by force and against that Victim’s will” on January 2. The warrants state the same for the second victim on January 14.
The warrants go on to state that Uwensuyi-Edosomwan “unlawfully and willfully for the purpose of sexual arousal and sexual gratification engaged in sexual contact, by pushing his erect penis onto the [second] victim’s hand during a medical examination by force and against the will of the other person.”
The warrants state that Uwensuyi-Edosomwan also “rubbed the [second] victim’s vagina over her pants with his fingers after a medical examination” and “lifted the [second] victim’s shirt and bra and then rubbed her breast during a medical exam without the victim’s consent.”
WBTV is not releasing the victims’ names.
“Both victims reported within the first 24 hours that it occurred,” investigators said during a press conference Tuesday.
They also said the alleged victims were not sedated during the incidents.
“We had information that lead us to investigate him for sexually assaulting two of his patients. The biggest thing for us in this case is that although we made the arrest on the two cases we know about – we’re not sure if there is any other incidents that he may have been involved in,” said Captain Cecil Brisbon. “That’s our biggest concern. Anytime you have situation like this, you want to make sure that someone out there who’s committing these type of acts, that they’re held accountable.”
The NC Medical Board documents note that Uwensuyi-Edosomwan “vehemently denies” all of the charges.
Uwensuyi-Edosomwan admits, “that the conduct alleged in the criminal charges, if true, would constitute unprofessional conduct,” according to the documents. The documents say, if true, the incident would be enough to suspend or revoke his medical license.
WBTV reached out to Dr. Uwensuyi-Edosomwan, but he would not comment.
One of his patients, who WBTV is only identifying as “Victoria,” said she never had any problems with Dr. Uwensuyi-Edosomwan. “He’s a good guy,” she said. “Never had any problems with him. Never. Never.”
Dr. Uwensuyi-Edosomwan was ordered not to practice medicine “until such time as he is given permission to do so by the Board President.” The documents state the order was part of an “interim non-practice agreement.”
That order came down from NC Medical Board President Cheryl Walker-McGill on February 4.
According to the NC Medical Board, Dr. Uwensuyi-Edosomwan was issued a license in March 1996 and practiced medicine in Charlotte, with his primary practice being internal medicine.
Uwensuyi-Edosomwan has a practice called Americare Health, which is located along the 1800-block of Milton Road. According to carolinashealthcare.org, he also worked at AmeriCare Health Family Medical Center on West Sugar Creek Road.
According to Carolinas HealthCare System Kevin McCarthy, Uwensuyi-Edosomwan has “never been employed by Carolinas HealthCare System.”
According to the NC Medical Board, he has admission privileges at Carolinas Medical Center-Union, but is not employed as a physician there. He has an affiliate membership at CMC-Union which means he does not have clinical privileges and is not able to treat patients or write orders.
He has previously been given medical licenses in South Carolina, Maryland, Pennsylvania, District of Columbia and Nigeria.
According to documents filed with the medical board, Uwensuyi-Edosomwan was reviewed after a March 2010 incident where he diagnosed a child with a hernia, bladder infection, ear infection, sinus infection, blood in the urine and bronchitis.
The case was reviewed after the child’s mother asked for documents to seek a second opinion in the case. The board reviewed the case and did not agree with the findings or the tests that Uwensuyi-Edosomwan ordered on the child.
Another document from 2010 shows that the medical board reviewed several years’ worth of records after concerns over his patient care and testing.
While the board ruled out concerns over the care he was providing patients, it did note that his handwriting in the records was “illegible” and he was ordered to improve the legibility of his records.
Documents show that over a two-year period, the board did not see any improvement, but said Uwensuyi-Edosomwan was implementing a new electronic medical record system which would eliminate the need for handwritten medical records.
He was reprimanded in the incident.
He was also ordered to submit himself for a professional assessment in August 2012.
According to court documents, Uwensuyi-Edosomwan lives in Waxhaw.
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