WILMINGTON, Del. (CN) - Two former patients claim in court that an octogenarian doctor used his businesses as fronts to prey on women for his sexual gratification.
Dr. Pierre Leroy, Fair Hill LP, and Neurosurgical Associates P.A. face parallel lawsuits from Dawn Riley and Jennifer Jones-Rinehart, in New Castle County Court.
The women claim the corporations knew Leroy was a sexual predator but allowed him to use the business properties "as a source of finding vulnerable persons to prey upon and sexually assault."
In 2012, the Newark Police Department "conducted an extensive investigation and located approximately nine victims other than plaintiffs who alleged that they were sexually assaulted by Dr. Leroy on the property owned by Fair Hill LP," the women say in their lawsuits. Two of the victims, according to the complaints, were "tenants of Dr. Leroy who leased apartments from Fair Hill LP."
According to the nearly identical complaints, Fair Hill LP owns a property at 249 E. Main St. in Newark, Del., which includes Dr. Leroy's offices, Delaware Pain and Spine Center and rental properties where some of the nine alleged victims lived.
"Fair Hill LP is the alter ego or a mere instrumentality of Dr. Leroy and under his complete control," both complaint state.
Leroy did not use the place to conduct "legitimate business," but as "a cover" to seek "out victims to sexually abuse and assault," the women say.
Both women say they visited Leroy's office in the spring of 2012. The claim that though Leroy was required by the Delaware Board of Medical Practice to "see female patients under supervision," no supervision, either female or male, was provided.
Both women say Leroy made them disrobe and then touched them in an offensive way, including touching their genitals "in a sexual manner."
Both say they sought "mental health counseling and treatment as a result of the assault, battery, and sexual abuse."
Leroy was indicted in 2012 on five counts of unlawful sexual contact with a 35-year-old female patient. His medical license was suspended.
Soon after, several other alleged victims came forward claiming to be victims of the Newark doctor. According to court records, Leroy was charged with more than two dozen counts of inappropriate sexual contact with his patients.
Leroy pleaded no contest, telling News Journal reporter Sean O'Sullivan in April 2013: "Think what you want to think, I'm not getting into this fight."
Leroy was sentenced to 45 days in prison, given one year of probation, had his medical license permanently revoked, was made to pay restitution, and had to register as a sex offender, according to court documents from September 2013.
According to the Newark Post, Leroy's medical license had been suspended in 1992 for six months due to a complaint of sexual misconduct. After that incident, Leroy was placed on probation and the state ordered him not to treat female patients without the presence of a female chaperone for as long as he practiced medicine, according to the Post.
Both Wiley and Jones-Rinehart are represented by Gilbert F. Shelsby Jr. of Shelsby & Leoni in Wilmington.
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