The New Jersey Board of Medical Examiners recently revoked the medical license of a Wayne doctor who has been accused of numerous sexual offenses against female patients during his time in practice.
60-year-old Wayne physician Leonard Joachim has been subject to four separate complaints of sexual misconduct with his patients, the first of which dates back to 1995. Joachim pleaded guilty that year to criminal sexual contact after accusations were made by two different patients.
Joachim admitted to inappropriately touching one of the victims, who was in her mid-twenties, but refused to admit to any misconduct toward the other. After his first guilty plea, Joachim was sentenced to seven years of probation and was required to have a chaperone accompany him during examinations of female patients.
Then, in In 2003, Joachim was accused of having sexual contact with a yet another patient, this time a 24-year-old female. However, a grand jury in Passaic County chose not to indict him on those charges and the case was dismissed. The medical board did choose to pursue the case, instituting mandatory counseling sessions and requiring him to attend classes about maintaining boundaries with patients.
In the most recent case, Joachim allegedly sexually assaulted a 25-year-old female patient on August 31st 2011. His license was suspended pending the resolution of the case and he ultimately pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of criminal sexual contact. He has since been employed as a clerk at a medical practice in Paterson.
As a result of the recent State Board Panel decision, Joachim will no longer hold a license to practice medicine in New Jersey. Considering the potential penalties of a criminal charge for sexual assault, which can include a prison sentence of up to 10 years and mandatory sex offender registration under New Jersey’s Megan’s Law, this outcome is comparably more favorable.
For additional information pertaining to this case, access the following article: Wayne doctor loses license over ‘sexual acts’
