20 December 2023 , 01:59
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A foot doctor working in Hollywood is the subject of a sex abuse investigation after two female patients accused him of inappropriately touching them during an examination.
The Portland Police Bureau's Sex Crime Unit began the investigation in September 2022 after an adult female patient accused Dr. Brian Bowen, 49, of fondling her during a podiatry exam at Eastside Foot & Ankle on 1827 Northeat 44th Avenue in May 2022. Additionally, a different female patient said she was groped during an examination in January.
After conducting it's inquiry for more than a year, the Multnomah County District Attorney's office took the case to a grand jury who on December 6 indicted Bowen on four charges: sex abuse in the second degree and three counts of sex abuse in the third degree. The first charge alone could put Bowen away for up to four years, according to California law.
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The Portland Sex Crime Unit began the investigation in 2022 after a patient accused Bowen of fondling her during an exam (Getty Images/iStockphoto)Bowen was arraigned in Multnomah County Circuit Court on December 15. Authorities said the investigation is far from over. The DA's office and Portland police are asking for any other patients who endured similar treatment from Dr. Bowen to come forward. Authorities have released his photo to help in the search for additional victims.
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Residents of the Hollywood neighborhood were jarred to hear the allegations against the doctor. “Just to know something like that happened is very alarming,” Shirley, who lives nearby, said. “A doctor’s office should be a safe place, we shouldn’t have those things to worry about. I am going to be more cautious about where I go and probably do some background checks on the doctor.”
The Oregon Medical Board has launched its own investigation into the allegations (Getty Images/ArtBox Images RM)Despite his indictment earlier this month, Dr. Bowen's medical license remains intact. The Oregon Medical Board website— the state agency responsible for licensing, regulating and disciplining certain healthcare providers in the state of Oregon—states Bowen's Doctor of Podiatric Medicine(DPM) license, which was ratified in January 2022, is set to expire at the end of this month. A separate tab called "future status" shows the doctor's credential renewal request "has been approved for the upcoming licensure period."
However, on December 15, the day of Bowen's arraignment, the medical board reported that he agreed to an interim stipulated order in which he must conduct all examinations and procedures in the presence of a medically-trained chaperone until it completes its own investigation into the allegations. The board said that no final action in the matter has been taken.