An Orange County doctor facing criminal charges for allegedly sexually abusing patients is now being sued by 73 former patients.
Dr. William Moore Thompson IV, an infectious disease specialist, is accused of molesting patients during visits at both his Newport Beach office as well as at Hoag Hospital.
According to the lawsuit, Thompson specialized in LGBTQ care. Several men who said Thompson abused them said their faith in doctors is shattered.
“Until this point, I haven’t found another doctor I can go to find help for myself," Kenton Huynh said.
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Julio Hernandez told NBC4, “I’ve been anxious. I’ve been not wanting to see any other doctors.”
“We did everything that our medical professors told us to do and we were molested," said Matt Lervold.
Many of the men suing said they sought out Thompson’s services. However, at least one said he was abused after he happened to be assigned to Thompson’s care during an emergency room visit.
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The men claim Thompson took advantage of them under the pretext of providing medical care. They are suing Hoag Hospital where Thompson, according to the hospital, had clinical privileges. The suit claims the hospital ignored red flags about the doctor's alleged behavior.
“I didn’t think twice about it. I thought it was part of the procedure,” said Huynh.
“The exams were over the top, aggressive prostate exams and absolutely too many. After giving the prostate exams, he would always want me to look at this private area to see how aroused he was," recalls Michael Glockner.
These types of allegations are not new to Thompson, whose medical license is currently suspended, according to the Medical Board of California. He was arrested in September of 2023 and now faces 20 felony counts related to assaulting male patients.
His next court hearing for the criminal charges is March 15.
Hoag Hospital issued the following statement in response to request for comment regarding the lawsuit:
"Hoag condemns the conduct alleged against Dr. William Thompson in the recent lawsuit and recognizes the courage it takes for former patients to come forward. Dr. Thompson operated an independent medical practice and was not employed by Hoag or its affiliates. He had clinical privileges at Hoag Hospital which were summarily suspended by the Medical Staff following the filing of criminal charges against him. We recognize that the legal process must take its course and we will continue to cooperate in all respects with the ongoing criminal proceedings against Dr. Thompson. For the last seven decades, Hoag has been committed to providing world-class care defined by respect, integrity, compassion and excellence for all patients, including members of the LGBTQ+ community."
