JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — A St. Augustine doctor convicted in a federal drugs-for-sex case is now the subject of a separate investigation in St. Johns County.
At least 30 women have come forward to accuse Dr. Scott Hollington of sexual misconduct, according to federal court testimony Thursday.
Hollington was convicted in July on 19 counts of drug trafficking and obstruction of justice in a case that involved trading pills for sex, but the parallel state-level sex investigation was not previously known.
“Since the time of the indictment, over 30 women have come forward regarding similar type sexual misconduct,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Kirwinn Mike told the judge. “It’s the subject of an open investigation in St. Johns County.”
Mike raised the issue at a hearing to determine whether Hollington should be held behind bars until his formal sentencing in October. Because he was convicted as a drug dealer, federal law calls for him to be imprisoned immediately. However, a judge can deviate from that requirement for “exceptional reasons.”
Based on testimony today from Hollington’s wife and their adult special-needs son, the judge agreed Hollington’s home circumstances met that definition.
Jeanne Hollington described their autistic son as quick to anger and physically difficult to control. She testified she was unable to attend her husband’s weeklong trial because she was unable to get someone to care for the 32-year-old.
“There is no one test for what constitutes ‘exceptional reasons,’ but it seems to me that the presentation here today from Ms. Hollington, the special needs son and to a lesser extent the other family obligations -- when you combine all that together, I do think it is an indication of an exceptional reason,” U.S. District Judge Timothy Corrigan said.
However, Corrigan was concerned to learn about the new allegations from the 30 women. During Hollington's federal drug trial, four women testified he groped, assaulted or coerced them into sexual acts with the promise of drugs. But, the judge said, “this was the first I’d heard from the government that there were 30 women who and come forward or who had made some type of complaint about Dr. Hollington’s conduct.”
For that reason, although Corrigan agreed to release Hollington until his October sentencing, he placed additional restrictions on the terms of his release, including home detention with an ankle monitor. He also prohibited the doctor from seeing patients or prescribing drugs. (Hollington's state medical license is still active, but he no longer has an office and was previously prohibited by the DEA from prescribing controlled substances.)
Despite the temporary reprieve, Corrigan noted Hollington is convicted of "very serious charges." While his attorney is asking for a sentence of probation only, Corrigan said the family needs to prepare for a prison sentence.
“To the extent you can, you have to be at least prepared for the possibility that there will be a sentence of imprisonment,” he told Hollington’s wife. Addressing the doctor directly, the judge said, "I'm really mostly doing this for [your son] and your wife. That’s really the only reason I am doing all of this, so please do not make me sorry that I did.”