Physician may face new charges

Publication Date: Wednesday Sep 25, 1996
POLICE: Physician may face new charges

Former Palo Alto doctor may be charged with sexual assaults
Dr. Roger Levin, the former Palo Alto physician arrested Sept. 6 on drug and pornography charges, may soon be facing additional charges of sexual assault, according to Palo Alto police.

Since news of Levin's arrest, about 60 former patients and other people have called police offering information, said Detective Michael Yore.

"They are victims of the doctor dating back to the 1970s," Yore said. "They were hesitant to come forward because of his doctor's status."

Yore said that police have been interviewing the people who called and are compiling cases to bring additional charges against Levin.

"We plan to take additional requests for sexual assault charges to the district attorney," Yore said. "

Levin, 51, has been charged with four felony and three misdemeanor charges, and one misdemeanor count of possessing child pornography photographs. The pornography was discovered when police executed a search warrant at Levin's Menlo Park home and found a computer and thousands of obscene photographs of children that had been downloaded from the computer.

Levin appeared in court on Friday for arraignment but received a continuance to Oct. 11 at the request of his attorney.

Levin is "holding up well," said his attorney, Michael Gaines.

After the brief court appearance, Levin and a female friend walked quickly away from the courthouse to get away from three news photographers who trotted after them. At one point, Levin broke into a run.

Yore said police are investigating along a number of lines, including whether Levin broke any federal laws by interstate transfer of pornographic materials.

For now, Yore said that police are especially interested in talking with anyone who was victimized in any way by Levin. "We're encouraging victims, any kind of victim, to come forward," Yore said. He can be reached at 329-2558.

Levin practiced internal medicine from a Cowper Street office in downtown Palo Alto until it was closed and his license to practice medicine was suspended by the state in June, after the police search.

Palo Alto police have been working with investigators from the state medical board, who had begun their investigation of Levin before the police did.

Levin pled guilty child endangerment and received a suspended sentence in 1987 after he had been charged with having sex with two boys.

--Don Kazak