A Portland podiatrist was sentenced to more than eight years in jail on Friday after 13 women accused him of sexual abuse during their treatment and surgical recovery.
Brian Bowen, 52, was sentenced to 100 months in prison after being convicted of one count of first-degree sexual abuse on June 17 in a bench trial. Bowen later pled guilty to 10 misdemeanor counts of third-degree sexual assault and two counts of sexual abuse, including false representation, accounting for all 13 patients.
Under a 2023 Oregon law, certified medical professionals commit a crime if they engage in sexual contact with a patient while fraudulently claiming it is for a legitimate medical purpose.
According to investigators, Bowen handled victims inappropriately during examinations and while they were recovering from surgery. Prosecutors stated that the contact was fleeting and without vocal comments, which confused patients and allowed the activity to continue for years.
Bowen must register as a sex offender and will serve several years of post-prison supervision in addition to his prison sentence.
“Patients deserve to feel safe when seeking medical care,” Deputy District Attorney Quinn Zemel stated. “This defendant took advantage of his position of trust as a doctor by sexually abusing people when they were most vulnerable. This critical sentence makes it clear that such acts of abuse will not be condoned.
Zemel and Deputy District Attorney Jesse Hoffman prosecuted the case, which was investigated by Portland Police investigators David McCormick and Nathan Wollstein.
Leave a Reply