A federal grand jury charged a former Veterans Affairs doctor with molesting six male veteran patients at the end of 2018 and beginning of 2019, the Justice Department announced Thursday.
The doctor, Johnathan Yates, worked as a osteopathic medicine specialist at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Beckley, West Virginia. The DOJ alleges that not only did Yates sexually assault the veterans, he also did so by incapacitating some of them during visits to the medical center.
“Yates temporarily immobilized two of the veterans – one by cracking his neck, and the other with the use of acupuncture needles – and sexually molested them while they were incapacitated,” the indictment reads. “His abuses caused five of the veterans to suffer bodily injury.”
DENVER, CO – NOVEMBER 03: Homeless U.S. military veterans stand in line for free services at a “Stand Down” event hosted by the Department of Veterans Affairs on November 3, 2011 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by John Moore/Getty Images)
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Yates is formally charged with five counts of depriving veterans of their civil rights under color of law and two counts of abusive sexual contact. If convicted, he faces a maximum sentence of life in prison.
The VA has had an ongoing issue with sexual abuse within its ranks.