Army Doctor Faces Arraignment on Charges of Sexual Abuse of Dozens of Patients

As Army pain doctor Maj. Michael Stockin faces arraignment on sexual abuse charges at Madigan Army Medical Center, two former patients spoke to CBS News about their experiences. They described alleged misconduct hidden under the guise of medical care, and expressed fears of retaliation. One patient said he was at first "very confused" by Stockin's thorough examination, while the other described a similar experience of receiving an "alternate assessment."

Charges and Prosecution

The Army has charged Stockin with 48 counts of abusive sexual contact and five counts of indecent viewing under the military code of justice. The case is being prosecuted by the Army's Office of Special Trial Counsel (OSTC). The attorney representing seven of Stockin's accusers believes there could be hundreds of victims, making the scope of this case "historic."

Investigations and Allegations

Stockin has been suspended from seeing patients, but his medical license remains active, according to the Washington State Department of Health database. His lawyer has called on the public to withhold judgment until the case is heard. The documents include allegations that Stockin attempted to cover up any sexual abuse of patients by falsely representing that it had a "medical purpose." His alleged pattern of behavior is reminiscent of the details in the case of the infamous former USA women's Olympics gymnastics team doctor, Larry Nassar.

Sexual Assault Reporting and Impact

CBS News has also obtained four taped interviews made by the Army's Criminal Investigation Division, which has been investigating Stockin's behavior for nearly two years. Many of the men's accounts of the alleged misconduct described a similar pattern. Male servicemembers are much less likely to report sexual assault than their female counterparts, the Defense Department has found.

In a 2021 survey, 16,620 male servicemembers said they had experienced unwanted sexual contact, but during that year, just 1,818 male servicemembers reported such assaults to the military. The sergeant first class said, "It's emotional, it's not something I'm used to," about his upcoming testimony. "I can deal with a lot of things. I can deal with anger, I can deal with combat, but emotions and things like that — it's personal."