乌鸦传媒

A gastroenterologist at the Cleveland Clinic was accused of sexual assault and arrested this week, according to court filings.

Omar Massoud, MD, PhD, allegedly sexually assaulted three patients during examinations, .

The Cleveland Clinic said it fired Massoud after investigating the reports of sexual assault, which they also reported to authorities.

Massoud is charged with three counts of gross sexual imposition and kidnapping for offenses alleged to have happened , and again on and , according to court records.

Kidnapping in Ohio someone else's liberty to engage in sexual activity against their will. In this case, Massoud is charged with aggravated kidnapping in the first degree, a felony that can years in prison.

encompasses many kinds of sexual assault, and his charge, a third-degree felony, can carry 9 to 36 months of imprisonment. Ohio law specifies that gross sexual imposition is usually a fourth-degree felony, but is a third-degree felony if the sexual contact happened under a number of more serious circumstances.

Massoud was the head of hepatology at the Cleveland Clinic. He also holds an active license in Alabama, where the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Neither license listed on the Ohio or Alabama medical board sites lists any disciplinary action against him.

Massoud also held medical licenses in Minnesota and Wisconsin, with no reported actions.

In a statement, Cleveland Clinic said it is "strongly committed to protecting the rights and safety of our patients, visitors and caregivers from any type of inappropriate behavior. We have processes for employees and patients to report any concerns, which are then thoroughly investigated."

"We immediately reported the accusations to the appropriate law enforcement agencies and are fully cooperating with the investigations. Following a thorough internal investigation, this physician has been terminated."

"We care deeply about patient safety and any form of misconduct is not tolerated," the organization stated.

A representative of the State Medical Board of Ohio told 乌鸦传媒 in an email that any ongoing complaints or investigations of licensees are confidential.

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