Delaware pediatrician accused in abuse of 103 patients; indicted on 471 criminal counts

Monday afternoon a grand jury in Sussex County handed up an indictment of huge proportions against Earl Bradley, the Lewes pediatrician accused of raping and sexually abusing several of his young patients.

Monday afternoon a grand jury in Sussex County handed up an indictment of huge proportions against Earl Bradley, the Lewes pediatrician accused of raping and sexually assaulting several of his young patients between 1998 and 2009.
The indictment charges Bradley with more than 471 counts of criminal conduct.

“I am determined to see that this defendant will never, ever be in a position again to hurt another child,” Beau Biden, Delaware Attorney General, said.

Bradley was arrested in December and initially charged with 29 felony counts for allegedly abusing nine children, but state prosecutors have now said there were 102 female victims and one male.  The list of vicitms could still grow as the investigation continues.

The indictment is based on 13 hours of video files seized from Bradley’s office and home in December 2009.  Investigators have had to spend countless hours reviewing the video over the last couple of months in an effort to identify victims and build a case.

Last week state police removed the cartoon characters and bright Volkswagen among other items from  Bradley’s “BayBees” pediatrics office site in Lewes.

Also last week the state Board of Medical Practice permanently revoked his medical license.

Meantime Biden has asked the state solicitor to look into whether anyone who may have known about Bradley’s alleged behavior was negligent in reporting it.

“Who had a responsibliity under Delaware law over the last 10 to 15 years to report any assertions or allegations of misconduct against Dr. Bradley, and whether or not they fulfilled it,” Biden said. “That’s the specific charge I’ve given our state solicitor.”

Bradley is being held in lieu of $2.9 million bail.  Next, Bradley will be arraigned on the charges, most likely in the next 4-6 weeks.

Biden did not want to speculate on when a trial might start.  But if convicted at trial Bradley faces a mandatory sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole.