Doctor pleads not guilty in patient drugging-sex case

By Ken Ritter, Associated Press

Published Wednesday, Oct. 7, 2015 | 12:08 p.m.

Updated Wednesday, Oct. 7, 2015 | 12:53 p.m.

A Las Vegas physician stood shackled in court and pleaded not guilty Wednesday to drugging and sexually assaulting at least 14 patients, including a 16-year-old girl whose alleged attack was videotaped.

An indictment filed last week accuses Bin Minh "Ben" Chung of 24 charges including lewdness, sexual assault, administering a drug in the commission of a felony, and a kidnapping charge that could bring a life sentence if he's convicted.

Chung, 41, is a family practice doctor. He was arrested June 20 on suspicion of possession of child pornography and his medical license was suspended June 23 by the Nevada State Board of Medical Examiners.

The charges were upgraded after police identified some women in videos and others came forward.

Chung's defense attorney, Christopher Oram, declined to comment outside court.

Prosecutors Alexander Chen and James Sweetin said outside court that a 15th victim depicted in video remained unidentified.

"People go and see their physician and there's a trust," Sweetin said. "The state takes violations of that trust very seriously."

The case came to light after Chung's wife told police she found a number of videos of him having sex with women and the teenage girl, according to a police report.

The girl later told investigators she became unconscious after being given an injection during what Chung told her was treatment for acne in July 2014, and remembered waking at one point with some of her clothes removed.

The girl's mother told police that Chung's wife had contacted her.

Chung is being held at the Clark County jail on $5 million bail.

Clark County District Court Judge Kathleen Delaney scheduled trial July 25, 2016.