Former doctor guilty of raping heavily sedated patient will serve no prison time
HOUSTON — A former doctor found guilty of raping a heavily sedated patient will not serve prison time, according to the Houston Chronicle.
On Friday, Shafeeq Sheikh was sentenced to 10 months of probation and must register as a sex offender for the rest of his life.
The judge, Senior District Judge Terry L. Flenniken, was required by law to follow the sentencing recommended by jurors, according to the paper.
In 2013, a woman checked into Ben Taub Hospital after complaining of wheezing and shortness of breath. The woman, who was not one of Sheikh’s patients, was sedated and kept overnight at the hospital.
According to the Houston Chronicle, Sheikh initially entered the woman’s room “after he noticed her breast implants.”
Police said Sheikh entered the victim’s room several times and sexually assaulted her. In court, Sheikh admitted to sexual contact but claimed it was consensual.
The victim reportedly tried to press a nurse’s button to get help but it was unplugged.
Sheikh’s medical license was revoked in 2015, according to KIAH. A rape kit and hospital security cameras led to his arrest and conviction.