Doctor charged with groping female patients during exams at Irvine office

IRVINE, Calif. (KABC) -- The Orange County District Attorney's Office is looking for potential victims of an Irvine doctor charged with groping patients during medical examinations.

Dr. John Carl Hoefs was arrested on May 3 and faces seven counts of sexual battery by fraud.

"These women were coming to the doctor for lifesaving medical treatment and they were subjected to horrific and quite frankly humiliating behavior by somebody who they trusted to treat their medical condition," said Kimberly Edds, spokesperson for the DA's office.

The 79-year-old hepatologist - a liver specialist - is accused of groping at least two patients while performing medical exams at a Hoag-affiliated medical office in Irvine.

"He was treating one woman for a liver condition when he removed her medical gown, folded it back, exposed her breasts and then grabbed her breasts on five separate occasions beginning in 2020," Edds said.

A second victim described the exact same groping experience and behavior in November 2016 and October 2017.

"The women tried to cover up and when the women tried to cover themselves up during the exams the doctor removed the gown again and insisted that their breasts be exposed for the remainder of the exam," she said.

In a statement, a spokesperson for Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian, said Dr. Hoefs is not employed by the hospital or its affiliates.

They said he operated an independent practice from leased space.

"Upon learning of this news, Medical Staff immediately suspended his staff privileges," the statement read. "Our priority remains the safety and well-being of our patients, and we are committed to ensuring the highest standards of care within our facilities."

Hoefs has also been affiliated with UCI Medical Center and the Liver Specialty Center in Irvine.

Edds said, "He was trained to treat that medical condition and instead he used that position of trust and abused that position of trust for his own sexual gratification, which is just absolutely disgusting."

Hoefs is out on a $500,000 bond.

He's set to appear in court on June 13.

Anyone with additional information about Hoefs' activities can call Irvine Police Detective Rebecca Steen at (949) 724-7170.