Orange County doctor accused of groping two female patients
An Orange County liver doctor was arrested after being accused of groping two female patients during medical examinations, prosecutors said.
Dr. John Carl Hoefs, 79, faces seven counts of sexual battery for allegedly fondling the women’s breasts during exams, according to the Orange County district attorney’s office.
Prosecutors alleged that Hoefs, who worked at a medical office in Irvine affiliated with Hoag, the not-for-profit regional healthcare network, assaulted one woman five times starting in 2020, prosecutors said.
Hoefs would lift the woman’s medical gown to grope her, and when she tried to cover herself he would remove the gown again, according to prosecutors.
Ataff members at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, a public hospital run by the county, told investigators that Dr. Louis Kwong sometimes looked under the surgical covers of anesthetized Black males and discussed the “genitals of the day.”
Another woman said she was groped by Hoefs during exams in October and November of 2016.
Hoefs was arrested May 3 and released on $500,000 bond. His arraignment is set for June 13. He faces a maximum of 10 years in prison if he is convicted on all charges.
Authorities are asking for the public’s help in identifying additional potential victims. Anyone with information can call Irvine police Det. Rebecca Steen at (949) 724-7170 or email rsteen@cityofirvine.org.
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