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Winter Park Doctor Charged With Sexual Battery On Man

Posted: 4:32 pm EDT May 17, 2004Updated: 10:24 am EDT May 18, 2004

A Winter Park doctor is charged with sexual battery and the victim is a 19-year-old man. Dr. Thomas Hunter, who specializes in pediatric plastic surgery, closed his practice Monday, and we've learned he's expected to plead guilty Tuesday.

Dr. Hunter would not talk to us Monday about his case.

The 19-year-old victim told Orlando police he woke up to find Dr. Hunter sexually assaulting him and was so upset, he curled up into a ball and began to cry.

Hunter, 48, was charged five months ago with sexual battery on a physically helpless person, because the victim was asleep. The Winter Park plastic surgeon was able to keep the case quiet until recently, when he surprised his office staff with the news that he was closing up shop as of Monday.

There's a note on his door for his patients, telling them they can pick up their records.

Dr. Hunter's alleged victim told police he crashed at his friend's house after a Halloween party, where he had eight drinks in an hour-and-a-half. He told police his friend took his keys and hid them, to prevent him from driving drunk. But, police say, he wasn't completely out of harm's way.

Hours later, they say, Dr. Hunter showed up. They say he sexually battered the 19-year-old when he was sound asleep, while a third man watched.

Police had the victim call Dr. Hunter at his stately Winter Park home and recorded the phone call.

The police report says Hunter made the following statements:

"His impression was the victim was being coy and was only pretending he was asleep."

"...the victim did not verbally respond, did not open his eyes, but did not resist."

The victim said he waited for a couple of days before telling police because he was embarrassed. He was afraid no one would believe him. He was afraid of how police would treat him and he was afraid of disease.

Dr. Hunter is planning to plead guilty Tuesday, despite the lack of physical evidence in the case and despite the fact that the victim was not able to identify him in a lineup. Police say it was Dr. Hunter's Mercedes and that phone call that lead them to him.

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