A podiatrist who has practiced in the State of Florida for 25 years is accused of drugging, raping, and then videotaping a woman whom he met at a bar. According to the woman, the podiatrist introduced himself as a Facebook friend and then offered her some pizza and drinks. The woman was made severely ill by the drinks and when she woke up, she found the man on top of her surrounded by video equipment. The woman managed to escape the room she was held in.
The doctor was found with naked photos of the woman on his phone. What is his defense to this? He’s claiming that the entire encounter was consensual to the best of his knowledge.
Analyzing the Evidence
The man representing the doctor, who also happens to be his brother, claims that there is no evidence that the woman was drugged. He maintains that toxicology reports from two different labs both came back negative. The woman was below the legal limit even for alcohol. However, one would expect that a doctor would know which drugs would show up on a toxicology report and which wouldn’t.
The prosecution will feature the alleged victim, a phone call she made to 911, and statements she made about the incident after it happened.
What the Defendant Says
The defendant says he approached the woman, recognizing her from Facebook. He then offered her some of his pizza and told the bartender to put her drinks on his tab. The two left for a club around 4 pm and during that time, the complainant said she felt sick and couldn’t drive home. The defendant says he offered her a ride and they left together. When they got back to his place, she took off her clothes and slipped under the covers of his bed. At some point, she got a text message from her boyfriend and told him she had to leave immediately and catch an Uber. Instead of doing that, she ran into some bushes and called the police. She was taken to the hospital and provided a statement to the police.
What Police Say
According to police, the doctor said he had “performed a sex act” on the woman but never took any photographs or had sexual intercourse. Vaginal swabs did not rule out that the doctor’s semen was among the samples found inside the woman. However, photos were recovered from the doctor’s phone. Prosecutors claim that these photos were taken while the woman was passed out, but the defense contends that she was fully cognizant of what was happening at the time.
The defense, in this case, will launch an all-out assault on the credibility of the alleged victim. This will not be a fun case to watch for anyone involved since the defense’s position is either that she’s making the entire thing up, or is completely crazy and doesn’t remember what happened correctly.
Talk to a West Palm Beach Criminal Defense Attorney
If you’re being accused of a crime, you need an attorney who can make the evidence for work you. Talk to the West Palm Beach criminal attorneys at the Skier Law Firm today to set up an appointment.
Resources:
sun-sentinel.com/local/palm-beach/fl-ne-doctor-scott-strolla-sexual-battery-trial-preview-20190829-ugygqawnlrferm5kz4lltlqxne-story.html
cbs12.com/news/local/podiatrist-charged-with-sexual-assault-and-video-voyeurism