ARREST OF A PEDIATRICIAN FOLLOWED YEARS OF COMPLAINTS

nytimes.com/Ian Urbina

Dr. Earl B. Bradley, a 56 year old Delaware pediatrician, who prosecutors say may havemolested more than 100 patients showed a pattern of inappropriate touching that led to multiplecomplaints from patients and co-workers.  But police were unable to get enough evidence tocharge him.  Starting in 2005, police investigators received complaints about Bradley, ofLewes, Delaware, from eight patients accusing him of abuse as far back as 1999.  At least onecomplaint was sent to a state medical group, but no action was taken to suspend Bradley's licenseand he was not charged.  He was charged in December with 32 criminal counts relating to therapes of at least seven girls, ages 3 months to 13 years.  In March 2005, a pediatrician whoused to work with Bradley told investigators that he regularly referred to Bradley as a pedophilewhen talking about him with colleagues.  Another pediatrician who used to work at the practicedescribed Bradley's habit of taking digital images of his patients and storing them on hiscomputer.  The doctor added that after he left Bradley's practice, many of Bradley's formerpatients transferred to him, complaining about Bradley's forcing children to get undressed whenthey didn't want to or taking their children away from the parents for several minutes.  Thecommon element described in the testimony from witnesses and alleged victims was the doctors'tendency to do unnecessary vaginal exams.  One such description came from the parents of a 12year old girl who was taken to see him for a sore throat and pink eye.  A throat culture wasnever taken, her temperature was never taken, a urine sample was never tested and a nurse was notinvolved, but the child was given a vaginal exam.
(Delaware)