Two more felony sexual assault charges have been brought against a Sitka physician, bringing the total now to 13.
A Sitka grand jury on Thursday (5-30-19) indicted 75-year old Richard McGrath on two counts of sexual assault in the second degree, for allegedly touching the breast of a female patient while she was unaware that a sexual act was being committed.
McGrath has been indicted twice previously this spring on 11 counts of alleged sexual assault against two separate victims going back to November of last year. The new charges involve a third victim, who was allegedly assaulted in March of 2018.
McGrath was placed on administrative leave by Sitka Community Hospital in December, where he had worked under contract for four years. He was scheduled to begin work under a new contract when the original charges came to light.
McGrath has been scheduled for trial in December of this year. At the time of his arraignment in Sitka Superior Court on May 23, it wasn’t clear whether the separate cases against McGrath would be consolidated into a single trial. That question will likely come up again when McGrath is arraigned on these most recent charges on June 7.
McGrath has pleaded not guilty to all previous charges. He is being represented by Juneau defense attorney Julie Willoughby, who has told the court that her client intends to go to trial to clear his name.
McGrath remains free on $25,000 bail, and has returned to his Seattle-area home.
UPDATE June 11,2019: McGrath was arraigned on the new charges on Friday, June 7, and entered not guilty pleas to both. Read more about his arraignment here.
