OGDEN, Utah (ABC4) – An Ogden neurosurgeon has been arrested for sexual battery after allegedly groping an unconscious patient during surgery.
Charging documents by a Weber County Sherriff state that on October 11, 2021, an adult woman went under surgery at the Ogden Regional Medical Center (ORMC).
Members of the team assisting in the operation state that the neurosurgeon performing the surgery, 65-year-old Dr. Bryson Smith, sexually assaulted the patient during this time.
Smith was reportedly performing an Anterior Cervical Decompression Fusion (ACDF) surgery on the patient when he began making statements about his sexuality, according to a team member.
These statements were allegedly about “swinging” and his sexuality being bisexual.
Smith then allegedly placed his hand on the unconscious patient’s breast, which was covered by a thin surgical sheet, and “squeezed for approximately 1 to 1.5 seconds.”
One witness stated that when this happened, no one in the room said anything, which he reportedly believed was due to the shock of witnessing Smith squeezing the unconscious victim’s breasts.
The probable cause affidavit shows that Smith also asked his team not to report him after the incident, making a statement along the lines of “Uh, no one report me for that,” and “Please don’t report me to HR.”
Smith allegedly had also made a comment about the victim’s breasts, saying “It’s a good thing she has these nice pads here that I can rest my hands on.” Other details of the sexual assault were described by one of the witnesses as well.
On Thursday, July 28, Smith was taken to the Weber County Jail on two counts of Sexual Battery.
No further information is currently available.
