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A former University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) physician has been sentenced to 11 years in prison on charges of sexually assaulting his patients while serving as an obstetrician-gynecologist at the institution.
James Heaps, aged 69, admitted guilt to 13 charges, as reported by the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office. These charges include six felony counts of sexual penetration of an unconscious person, five felony counts of sexual battery by fraud, and two felony counts of sexual exploitation of a patient.
During his 35-year tenure at UCLA, the university faced significant legal repercussions, paying nearly $700 million to resolve civil claims filed against him.
In addition to his prison sentence, Heaps will be mandated to register as a sex offender for the rest of his life.
Heaps’ sentencing marks the conclusion of a lengthy legal battle that has profoundly impacted many of his former patients and the university community.
Heaps’s plea comes after an appeals court in California determined he was denied a fair trial in 2023 due to concerns that one juror did not speak enough English to adequately carry out their responsibilities.
At the time, his attorney, Leonard Levine, told The Associated Press that, “justice is slow, but it’s finally been done.”
“I believe it’s just a matter of time before he is totally exonerated,” he added.
Levine did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
James Heaps’s former UCLA patients previously claimed the school ignored their complaints about him. (Myung J. Chun/Los Angeles Times, File)
Prosecutors, however, framed the outcome differently.
“Today marks the second time that we’re holding James Heaps responsible for the unconscionable crimes he committed while being entrusted with the safety of his patients,” Los Angeles District Attorney Nathan J. Hochman said, according to the release.
“For years, Heaps exploited the sacred trust between a doctor and patient to prey on vulnerable victims during medical procedures. This sentence ensures that Heaps will finally be held accountable for the harm he inflicted under the guise of care. To the survivors: I hope today brings you closure knowing that the individual who violated your trust has been definitively brought to justice. To all survivors, please know that we believe you and we will fight for you.”
The Los Angeles District Attorney’s Office did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
Heaps’s prior 2023 conviction was overturned upon the discovery that one of the jurors did not speak adequate English. (Al Seib/Los Angeles Times via AP/Pool, File)
In 2023, the doctor’s former patients claimed he groped them, made suggestive comments, or conducted unnecessarily invasive exams at the college’s student health center, the Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center, or in his campus office.
The women who filed lawsuits against Heaps claimed the school ignored their comments and allowed the abuse to continue.