A former University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) gynecologist pleaded guilty Tuesday to 13 counts of sexual abuse after a previous conviction was overturned.
James Heaps, 69, admitted to the 13 felony counts, six of them connected to sexually abusing an unconscious person, according to The Associated Press (AP). A judge swiftly sentenced him to 11 years in prison, ABC7 Eyewitness News reported. He was first sentenced to 11 years behind bars in 2023 after being found guilty on five counts of sexual battery and penetration involving two patients he treated while he was connected to UCLA, according to the AP. (RELATED: Doctor Allegedly Removes Wrong Organ In Fatal Mistake, Faces Manslaughter Charge)
In February, an appeals court ruled he was denied a fair trial because the judge reportedly did not share the jury foreman’s concerns about one of the jurors’ knowledge of English with the defendant’s lawyers.
A grand jury indicted Heaps in 2021 on multiple charges of sexual battery by fraud, sexual exploitation of a patient and sexual penetration of an unconscious person by fraudulent representation. He was charged in connection with the alleged sexual assaults of seven women from 2009 to 2018. Heaps groped patients, made suggestive comments, or conducted unnecessarily invasive exams, according to UCLA patients.
Nicole Gumpert, one of Heaps’ accusers, appeared at his sentencing, according to the Los Angeles Times.
“Now you have finally admitted what you have done, and while your sentence falls short of the justice truly demands, your ultimate prison will endure in perpetuity, a depraved legacy stripped of respect, honor, and integrity filled instead with shame,” Gumpert said during the sentencing.
“History will not remember you for reverence. It will remember you with contempt. Your name will carry no honor, no redemption,” she continued.
Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman offered a similar sentiment.
“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. 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,” he said, according to the Los Angeles Times.
Over 300 of Heaps’ former patients have sued UCLA, according to KTLA. The university paid almost $700 million to Heaps’ accusers, marking the largest sexual abuse payout connected to a public university, the outlet reported.
Leonard Levine, the doctor’s defense lawyer, did not immediately answer a request for comment from the AP.