Ambrosio Spinola
11-18-2005, 08:41 AM
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/dayart/20051116/226momah17_wipe.jpg
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/248675_momah17.html
A Seattle jury convicted Charles Momah, a South King County obstetrician and gynecologist, Wednesday of sexually abusing four of his patients.
Momah sat stoically but with a knitted brow as verdicts of guilty on two counts of rape and two counts of indecent liberties were announced. He now faces a prison term of as long as 23 years when King County Superior Court Judge Michael Trickey sentences him.
Dr. Charles Momah listens to the verdicts in King County Superior Court Wednesday as a jury found him guilty of sexually abusing four patients.
A sentencing hearing has not been set. Momah's attorney, Dave Allen, said he would appeal the verdicts because Trickey allowed testimony from three women whose accusations weren't part of the criminal charges.
"With today's verdict," said Harish Bharti, an attorney representing three of the women Momah was convicted of abusing, "for the first time my clients will be sleeping with both eyes closed."
He said the women, who have also sued the physician, had been living in fear of Momah since he was released after posting bail more than a year ago.
"It's a big release and sense of satisfaction," Bharti said.
Deputy King County Prosecutor Roger Rogoff said the standard sentence for the four counts against Momah is 17 to 23 years. Prosecutors haven't decided what sentence they will seek.
Rogoff said he was especially pleased that the jury was willing to believe the testimony of the seven women who said Momah had abused them.
"What I think is amazing is the seven women who testified ... had the courage to come forward and explain what had happened to them," Rogoff said.
The women testified that Momah either got them hooked on painkillers and sexually assaulted them or simply made indecent remarks and fondled them during exams in his now-closed obstetrics-gynecology clinics in Burien and Federal Way.
Momah had his medical license suspended in September 2003 after one of the rape victims complained to the state Department of Health. The victim had gone to a hospital after the rape and had DNA evidence collected that eventually was shown to closely match Momah's.
Momah was born in Nigeria and has been practicing as a gynecologist in Washington since 1993. Earlier in the trial, he had denied abusing the women and said his sexual relationships with two of them were consensual.
Momah's legal problems are far from over. Bharti said he has filed more than 30 suits against Momah and his twin brother, Dr. Dennis Momah, on behalf of women who claim the men sexually harassed or assaulted them.
Charles Momah is also facing criminal charges that he billed insurance companies for procedures he didn't do.
However, Rogoff said his office would re-evaluate those other charges in light of the guilty verdicts.
Momah's attorney said he was "very, very concerned" for his client's well being in prison because he has health problems related to his large size.
Momah is so large that officers had to use four sets of handcuffs strung end-to-end to cuff his hands behind his back.
"He is feeling a tremendous amount of disappointment," Allen said of his client
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/248675_momah17.html
A Seattle jury convicted Charles Momah, a South King County obstetrician and gynecologist, Wednesday of sexually abusing four of his patients.
Momah sat stoically but with a knitted brow as verdicts of guilty on two counts of rape and two counts of indecent liberties were announced. He now faces a prison term of as long as 23 years when King County Superior Court Judge Michael Trickey sentences him.
Dr. Charles Momah listens to the verdicts in King County Superior Court Wednesday as a jury found him guilty of sexually abusing four patients.
A sentencing hearing has not been set. Momah's attorney, Dave Allen, said he would appeal the verdicts because Trickey allowed testimony from three women whose accusations weren't part of the criminal charges.
"With today's verdict," said Harish Bharti, an attorney representing three of the women Momah was convicted of abusing, "for the first time my clients will be sleeping with both eyes closed."
He said the women, who have also sued the physician, had been living in fear of Momah since he was released after posting bail more than a year ago.
"It's a big release and sense of satisfaction," Bharti said.
Deputy King County Prosecutor Roger Rogoff said the standard sentence for the four counts against Momah is 17 to 23 years. Prosecutors haven't decided what sentence they will seek.
Rogoff said he was especially pleased that the jury was willing to believe the testimony of the seven women who said Momah had abused them.
"What I think is amazing is the seven women who testified ... had the courage to come forward and explain what had happened to them," Rogoff said.
The women testified that Momah either got them hooked on painkillers and sexually assaulted them or simply made indecent remarks and fondled them during exams in his now-closed obstetrics-gynecology clinics in Burien and Federal Way.
Momah had his medical license suspended in September 2003 after one of the rape victims complained to the state Department of Health. The victim had gone to a hospital after the rape and had DNA evidence collected that eventually was shown to closely match Momah's.
Momah was born in Nigeria and has been practicing as a gynecologist in Washington since 1993. Earlier in the trial, he had denied abusing the women and said his sexual relationships with two of them were consensual.
Momah's legal problems are far from over. Bharti said he has filed more than 30 suits against Momah and his twin brother, Dr. Dennis Momah, on behalf of women who claim the men sexually harassed or assaulted them.
Charles Momah is also facing criminal charges that he billed insurance companies for procedures he didn't do.
However, Rogoff said his office would re-evaluate those other charges in light of the guilty verdicts.
Momah's attorney said he was "very, very concerned" for his client's well being in prison because he has health problems related to his large size.
Momah is so large that officers had to use four sets of handcuffs strung end-to-end to cuff his hands behind his back.
"He is feeling a tremendous amount of disappointment," Allen said of his client