An oral surgeon in North Carolina was sentenced to 80 years in prison after a jury found him guilty of sexually abusing nearly two dozen patients between the ages of 12 and 69 while they were sedated for dental work, according to multiple news reports.
Dr. Michael Hasson. Image courtesy of the New Hanover County Sheriff’s Office.
Dr. Michael Hasson, who operated Wilmington Oral Surgery, was found guilty on October 17 by a jury in the New Hanover County Superior Court of 24 charges ranging from indecent liberties with a child to sexual battery. The offenses occurred at the practice between 2009 and 2018. The victims were considered physically helpless at the time of their assaults, investigators said.
In January 2019, Hasson was charged with three counts of sexual battery and one count of second-degree forcible sex offense. Four months later, Hasson faced about 30 related charges involving at least 23 patients. In May 2023, Hasson pleaded not guilty to the offenses, according to news reports.
Hasson's dental license was suspended in February 2019. The North Carolina State Board of Examiners also investigated Hasson for charging Medicaid to keep patients sedated for long periods of time.
In February 2020, Hasson was ordered to pay $4 million in a civil suit filed by one of his former patients who accused him of sexual assault while she was sedated for a third-molar extraction. The judgment was filed on behalf of the accuser, who was only identified as "Doe" to protect her identity.
Doe will receive $1 million in compensation and $3 million in punitive damages, which are not ordered often. When punitive damages are awarded, it is typically done to make a statement and deter others from engaging in similar activities.
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