Gynecologist arrested for secretly taking nude photos of patients with phone

Friday, May 02, 2014 by: J. D. Heyes
Tags: gynecologist, nude photos, patient privacy

(NaturalNews) A gynecologist from Arkansas is facing charges of video voyeurism after he allegedly used his cell phone to shoot nude footage of patients during office exams, reports the tell-all website The Smoking Gun.

The website reported that police began looking into Dr. Paul Becton, Jr., in April after a patient reported that she was concerned the 68-year-old physician "produced his cellular telephone and took photographs of her pubic region and buttocks" during a visit to his office, according to an arrest affidavit.

The site reports that Becton has been in practice for more than three decades and is "very knowledgeable in the latest surgical techniques and women's health issues."

'There appeared to be photos of the victim'

Arkansas State Police investigators who were armed with a search warrant seized the gynecologist's phone during a visit to his office April 10 in the city of Paragould, about 20 miles northeast of Jonesboro. An analysis of the phone revealed "numerous images of nude females that appear to have been taken in a medical office during medical examinations," the site reported. Investigators found the photos "in the deleted images within the hard-drive" of the phone.

According to the affidavit, investigators said, "Also recovered during the examination were what appear to be photographs of the victim who reported this incident," to Paragould police. The woman who made the report subsequently identified five "nude photographs that were taken without her knowledge or consent," the affidavit said.

Becton, who maintains a private OB/GYN practice at the Arkansas Methodist Medical Center, has been charged with five felony voyeurism counts related to the naked images of the woman who contacted police, The Smoking Gun reported.

According to Becton's practice website:

Raised in Little Rock, Arkansas, Dr. Becton is a graduate of Hall High School and Baylor University where he attended on a football scholarship. Between 1967 through 1969, Dr. Becton played professional football. Between 1969 through 1973, Dr. Becton worked in Public Accounting where he later attended the University of Arkansas Medical School. His residency specialized in OBGYN at University Hospital in Little Rock. For over 30 years, Dr. Becton has been delivering babies and giving women excellent medical care in Arkansas. Dr. Becton remains committed to continuing his education and is very knowledgeable in the latest surgical techniques and women's health issues. In 2007 Dr. Becton moved to Paragould, Arkansas and opened his practice, Becton Women's Clinic and became a member of the staff at Arkansas Methodist Medical Center.

'A woman should expect her privacy not to be violated'

A report in the local Paragould paper dated April 24 said that Becton had yet to be served with papers regarding the woman's civil lawsuit because he could not be found.

"When a woman goes to the doctor, she should expect that her privacy not be violated," said Scott Ellington, second judicial district prosecutor, to Region 8 News.

The American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists Committee Opinion Number 373, August 2007, says, "The relationship between the physician and patient, therefore, requires a high level of trust and professional responsibility." What's more, the document goes on to say the physician-patient relationship is damaged when there is confusion regarding professional roles and behavior, or clear lack of integrity that allows "sexual exploitation and harm."

Sources:

http://www.thesmokinggun.com

http://www.bectonclinic.com

http://www.paragoulddailypress.com

http://www.medicaldaily.com