From the Sacramento Bee:
Case now includes accusations by 13 female patients.
By Christina Jewett — Bee Staff Writer
The former Kaiser plastic surgeon charged in June with sexually exploiting a patient now faces charges of sexual misconduct toward 13 patients, according to an updated criminal complaint.
Dr. Scott Takasugi is alleged to have unnecessarily touched and photographed women’s genitalia when they sought his care for unrelated surgeries since 1996.
The charges filed Friday in Sacramento Superior Court significantly change the case, which initially accused Takasugi of eight weapon violations and two counts of sexual exploitation against one woman.
The Carmichael surgeon is now charged with 18 counts of sexual exploitation, including 15 felony counts of sexual penetration. Three weapon charges remain in the criminal complaint.
Takasugi was released on $1 million bail and has not entered a plea. He faces up to 40 years in prison if convicted.
Takasugi’s attorney, Quin Denvir, said his client’s actions have been misinterpreted.
“There’s not a doubt in my mind that he was performing what was within the range of medical practice, and he wasn’t doing it for any illicit or improper reasons,” Denvir said Monday.
Sacramento attorney Noel Ferris has 17 clients who are seeking civil damages against Takasugi and Kaiser Permanente, one of whom was 12 years old when she was allegedly mistreated in 1992.
“I got calls from people he saw in his residency in 1988,” Ferris said. “This has been an ongoing deal with him, but it’s become more and more brazen.”
Ferris’ clients share similar accounts of sexual exploitation and allege that Kaiser failed to properly supervise Takasugi.
Friday in court, Deputy District Attorney Joseph Chavez said Kaiser officials reprimanded Takasugi in March 2000 for bringing a gun to work.
Denvir said Takasugi brought the gun because someone was following him.
Since 1999, Kaiser received three sexual harassment complaints about Takasugi and 40 patient complaints, mostly about his bedside manner, according to a search warrant.
Kaiser spokeswoman Kathleen McKenna said the sheriff’s investigation began because Kaiser reported Takasugi to officers. She said officials continue to cooperate with law enforcement and are evaluating each civil claim.
“We apologize to our patients,” she said Monday. “All patients deserve to be treated with respect and appropriately.”
Takasugi was suspended from work at Kaiser’s Morse Avenue office May 3, one day after two women complained that he unnecessarily photographed their genitalia. One woman recalled leaving his office “emotional and angry, feeling degraded and betrayed,” according to an affidavit for a search warrant.
Based on four patients’ complaints, Sacramento sheriff’s officials searched Takasugi’s home June 13. They found alleged victims’ medical documents and photographs on the doctor’s love seat, coffee table and in his breakfast nook, search documents say.
Detectives also found a business card listing Takasugi as a “glamour” photographer.
Takasugi was arrested near his home during the search. He was fired from Kaiser on June 19.
Chavez said Kaiser and sheriff’s officials set up hotlines for victims after the surgeon’s arrest.
Women who called are among the 13 alleged victims in the criminal complaint. Only women who alleged misconduct after 1995 could be included in the criminal case because of laws limiting prosecution for past crimes, Chavez said.
Chavez said the eight weapon charges were reduced to three because the weapons are registered with the state.
Charges remain for a pair of rifles modified with a hand crank to fire rapidly, an M-80 explosive and an anti-tank rocket launcher with a fake rocket, Chavez said.
Denvir said the weapons may prove to be legal.