What did Maj. Michael Stockin do? Army doctor charged over SA allegations makes first court appearance

On Friday, February 23, an army doctor, Maj. Michael Stockin made his first appearance in court in Washington. He faces several charges for allegedly s*xually abusing 41 of his male patients while he was an anesthesiologist at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington.

A number of individuals came forward to share their experiences with Stockin. Many instances reportedly involved him touching patients' genitals without a medical reason, as per the Army Times. Fox13 reported that the charging documents, which were made public after the army doctor's trial, list more than 50 instances in which Stockin has been accused of allegedly touching patients inappropriately.

The reports first came to light on February 22, 2022, when Stockin was employed at the JBLM, where he has been working since July 2019, as per the Army Times.

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An army doctor, Maj. Michael Stockin charged with 47 counts of abusive s*xual contact

According to CBS News, on Friday, February 23, Maj. Michael Stockin, an army doctor, appeared in a military courtroom in Washington for the first time. He is currently being prosecuted on over 50 counts of s*xual misconduct after allegations made by numerous patients.

The publication reported that the charges against Stockin include 47 counts of abusive s*xual contact and five counts of indecent viewing under the military code of justice.

According to CBS News, all the alleged victims are males are Maj. Michael Stockin attempted to conceal the s*xual assault of the patients by pretending that it served a "medical purpose."

Josh Connolly, the Senior Vice President of Protect our Defenders, a human rights organization that provides pro bono legal services, spoke to Fox13 and shed light on the absence of victim support as he said:

“The Stockin case should be code red for the Pentagon. Survivors, our elected officials, and advocates worked for years on reforms to ensure that victims are afforded these basic resources, yet the military has not carried out the spirit nor letter of the laws.”

Protect our Defenders and Ryan Guilds, an attorney representing seven victims in the case, have been in communication with Senate Armed Services Committee members regarding what they refer to as "deeply serious issues with the U.S. Military."

According to Protect Our Defenders, more than half of the victims in the Stockin case do not now have legal representation.

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Stockin reportedly deferred entering a plea until the following court date, as per Army Times. Pre-trial motions will be heard by the prosecution and defense teams on April 17 and 18, July 9 to 11, and August 15 and 16. The date of his trial is scheduled for October 7, 2024.

As per Lt. Col. Jennifer Bocanegra, a base spokesperson, the army doctor was immediately banned from treating patients when authorities learned of the initial complaints, Army Times reported in August. Stockin has been performing administrative tasks in a "non-clinical area" ever since his suspension and does not reside on JBLM, according to the publication.