Mt. Lebanon Dentist Surrenders On New Sex Charges Involving Patients

POSTED: 4:32 pm EST January 31, 2008
UPDATED: 6:05 pm EST February 1, 2008

PITTSBURGH -- Fifteen more complaints have been filed against a suspended Mount Lebanon dentist who was already accused of sexually assaulting female patients after using anesthesia to numb them.

Dr. Robert J. Boyda Jr., a Harvard-educated oral surgeon with offices in Scott and Robinson townships, turned himself in on the new charges on Friday morning. He was being held on $75,000 bond.

Allegheny County police said 15 women between the ages of 13 and 58 came forward with new complaints, in addition to the original four women who accused Boyda last month.

According to police, the 15 women said they were drifting in and out of consciousness during oral surgery when sexual assaults took place.

Boyda, whose dental license has temporarily been suspended, is charged with sexual assault, involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, aggravated indecent assault and corruption of minors.

"I've had cases before where you've had multiple victims, but nothing like this," said detective Dennis John Kozlowski.

"His reaction and his family's reaction is absolute," said defense attorney Bill Difenderfer. "They're absolutely horrified. I mean, his mother who actually worked in that office for 35 years, finds this absolutely offensive and impossible, and it didn't happen."

Police documents filed in court detailed the allegations. A patient, who was 13 years old at the time of the alleged incident, said she began crying in the recovery room and told her mother, who confronted Boyda. She said he showed her a book that listed hallucinations as a side effect of anesthesia.

"There were a number of cases in which victims report that this happened," said Kozlowski. "To their parents, to husbands, boyfriends, friends, and they'd say, 'I don't know if you should come forward. It's your word against his. He's a doctor.'"

According to the criminal complaint, one alleged victim recalled Boyda exposing himself three to four times.

Another woman claimed Boyda climbed up on the dentist's chair to assault her.

Another patient said she woke and "the dentist had his hand under the blanket" that was covering her, according to the criminal complaint.

Allegheny County police said it took a tremendous amount of courage for the patients to come forward.

"It wasn't as us going out and asking the public come forward," said Allegheny County police Superintendent Charles Moffatt. "We just put out the facts as we've known them, made the arrest, and the victims took it upon themselves to call us."

Boyda's attorney, Bill Difenderfer, has called the accusations ludicrous, saying the doctor is never alone with a patient. He blamed the accusations on anesthesia clouding the women's minds and causing hallucinations.

"I told him this would be a highly publicized case," said Difenderfer. "Told him that as soon as it hit the press, don't be surprised that there's going to be a lot of other people that feel like something like this happened to them, too. Honestly, it's not a surprise."

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