CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — A Corpus Christi doctor accused of inappropriate behavior was back in court Wednesday.
Last October, a grand jury indicted Dr. Juan Villarreal on three counts of sexual assault involving patients, and now prosecutors say 11 more women have come forward with allegations against him.
The OB-GYN denied these allegations through his attorney.
"Our position is that nothing inappropriate ever occurred during any of these examinations. These were examinations for pap smears," Ron Barroso said. "We know that they're very intrusive examinations that a female has to undergo and they were all done in a proper manner, and we hope to have our day in court to prove that to a jury."
Specific details about the new allegations were not given during Wednesday's hearing.
Prosecutors plan to bring in medical experts to provide context.
"An expert is going to benefit not only the State and the court and the defense counsel, but the jury as well because of the complexity of the nature of the allegations," Holt Feemster said.
Judge Carlos Valdez offered an approximate timeline for court proceedings.
"With 14 counts, it's a long trial," Valdez said. "So it's looking more and more like it may be next year before we can get this to trial."
Villarreal's attorney said media coverage of the October indictment led to the new accusations against his client.
"When you go in the media and invite people to come forward, this is what happens," Barroso said.
The new allegations against Villarreal will be presented to a grand jury Thursday.
