Photo: Los Angeles Times
A former gynecologist who worked at the University of California, Los Angeles, for decades was convicted of sexually abusing his patients. A jury found Dr. James Heaps, 65, guilty of three counts of sexual battery by fraud and two counts of sexual penetration of an unconscious person.
He will be sentenced on November 17 and faces between 21 and 28 years in prison.
Heaps was arrested in 2019 and charged with 21 counts of sexual misconduct that occurred over a nine-year period between 2009 to 2018. He was acquitted on seven counts, and the jury was unable to reach a unanimous decision on the remaining nine charges.
The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office said it has not decided whether to hold a retrial on the nine charges that left the jury deadlocked.
“While we respect the jurors’ decisions on the acquitted counts, we are obviously disappointed,” Los Angeles District Attorney George Gascón said in a statement. “I know how challenging such trials can be for all involved and the personal sacrifices that are made so that justice is served.”
After Heaps was arrested, hundreds of women came forward with allegations of sexual abuse during his 35-year tenure at UCLA. They filed several lawsuits against the school, which have been settled for over $700 million.