Alleged Victims Testify Against Doctor Accused Of Rape

Posted:

By Jeff Tang

GALLATIN, Tenn. - A Goodlettsville doctor is accused of violating the trust of his female patients. Charles Cowden went to court Wednesday for a hearing. The 73-year-old is accused of molesting his patients.

In court, all four of Cowden's victims testified against him. The doctor faces two counts of rape by fraud and two counts of sexual battery by fraud.

"He felt around my back and buttocks, he had his hands on my hips and he asked me to bend over," said one victim.

The witnesses said Cowden inappropriately touched them in places that had nothing to do with their medical ailments. One victim went to Cowden's Goodlettsville facility complaining of chest congestion problems.

"He had me pull down my pants to my knees. He himself without latex gloves pulled down my underwear and touched near my groin area," testified a victim.

The witnesses said Cowden then prescribed them pain medication- including the drugs Soma, Hydrocodone, Xanax and Lortab. In most cases, the victims did not even ask for the prescriptions.

Victims also said they often saw long lines of people waiting outside the Urgent Care facility. They said they were waiting for Cowden to fill their pain medication prescriptions.

A judge bound Cowden's case to the grand jury. His license to practice medicine was suspended in October.

e-mail: jtang@newschannel5.com