BY TIMOTHY LA ROCHE
[email protected]
CLAREMONT — Further details emerged in court documents this week in the arrest of the former-Valley Regional Hospital doctor accused of sexually assaulting a patient. Eric Knight, 50, of Derry is charged with aggravated sexual assault after a four-month police investigation into his alleged patient relationships.
Knight turned himself in to Claremont Police on Jan. 26 after months of investigation into his relationship with a patient, which allegedly included instances of sexual assault. According to documents from a Board of Medicine investigation into Knight, the former-doctor also allegedly prescribed the patient with high doses of narcotics.
Affidavits from the police investigation into Knight’s alleged actions became available following the arrest. The affidavit details police using cell phone records between Knight and the patient to find a record of the two speaking about engaging in the alleged sexual acts.
Under RSA 632-A:2,I(g) of the New Hampshire criminal codes: “A person is guilty of the felony of aggravated felonious sexual assault if such person engages in sexual penetration with another person under any of the following circumstances: When the actor provides therapy, medical treatment or examination of the victim and in the course of that therapeutic or treating relationship or within one year of termination of that therapeutic or treating relationship.”
On Jan. 17, Capt. Stephen Lee and Detective Colby Casey visited Knight at his Derry residence for an interview. Knight told the investigators he consulted with two criminal defense attorneys regarding the investigation and declined to provide a formal interview. However, affidavits said that the former-doctor told investigators his statement to the medical licensing board is consistent to the information he would provide police.
“[Knight] also stated that he had taken responsibility for his actions with respect to his relationship with [the patient], and he was ‘prepared’ to accept the consequences including ‘going to jail,’” the affidavit said of the Jan. 17 encounter.
Several questions remain ahead of Knight’s Feb. 12 arraignment in Claremont District Court. Unsealed affidavits support police’s request to issue an arrest warrant for Knight. Further details of the investigation are being withheld pending Knight’s appearance in court.
Documents released through the police investigation thusfar detail the discovery of evidence that Knight and the patient talked about being in sexual contact. Allegations that arose in the board of medicine investigation into Knight that he may have assaulted the patient beyond the scope of RSA 632 are not addressed in the arrest warrant.
In a June 1 email to board investigator Lori Lefebrve, Knight disclosed that he met the patient in October 2016 while he was working at Valley Regional but further investigation into the patient’s medical records found that Knight began treating the patient while he worked at Elliot Primary Care more than seven months earlier.
A Valley Regional internal investigation also found that of the 87 patients to which Knight prescribed controlled narcotics, only two signed pain management contracts. Hospital CEO Peter Wright said in June 9 email to Knight that the “frequency of prescriptions and ‘double scripts’ is troubling.’”
In a June 16 email to Lefebvre, Wright also said that the internal investigation found that “pain medication was prescribed at levels that far exceeded the recommended therapeutic doses.”
Board of Medicine documents regarding Wright’s finding state: “Dr. Knight’s prescribing practices among all of his patients were investigated, Mr. Wright stated that Dr. Knight was prescribing narcotic pain medication to a variety of patients, but that he was not following legal requirements and best practices, such as the consistent use of pain contract and randomized drug screens.”
More charges are anticipated, according to a Claremont Police statement. Anyone with more information can contact Detective Lee at 603-542-7010 or [email protected].
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