XENIA — The former Yellow Springs doctor accused of sexually abusing patients made his first appearance in a Greene County courtroom Thursday.
Donald Gronbeck, 42, was in Greene County Common Pleas Court this afternoon for his arraignment.
News Center 7′s John Bedell was in the courtroom for the hearing, which lasted under five minutes.
Gronbeck was arrested Oct. 21. The day before, a Greene County grand jury handed up a secret indictment of 50 counts including, nine counts of rape, 10 counts of sexual battery, 15 counts of gross sexual imposition and 16 counts of sexual imposition.
On Thursday, his attorney, Jon Paul Rion, said Gronbeck pleaded non guilty to “each and every charge” in the indictment.
In a press conference Monday afternoon, Greene County Prosecutor David D. Hayes said Gronbeck allegedly sexually assaulted 15 women over a 9-year span.
News Center 7 previously reported that Gronbeck’s medical license was suspended and later revoked earlier this year by the State Medical Board of Ohio.
State medical board documents allege Gronbeck used a private email account and used a messaging app called Cover Me, where messages disappear quickly and are not saved, to have sexually explicit conversations with a female patient.
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News Center 7 spoke with Gronbeck’s attorney, Jon Paul Rion, after the arraignment. He said they launched their own investigation into the claims.
“Our investigation indicates that these relationships were far different than the charge indciates,” Rion said.
State medical board documents also accuse Gronbeck of prescribing Rivastigmine patches to one patient, and told her to give the patches to others including two other patients who made sexual abuse violations, News Center 7 previously reported.
Rivastigmine patches are commonly prescribed to dementia, Alzheimer’s, and Parkinson’s patients and helps improve mental function by “increasing the amount of a certain natural substance in the brain,” according to the National Library of Medicine.
A bond hearing was also scheduled for Thursday, but a continuance was granted until Nov. 17. Until then, Gronbeck will continue to be held in the Greene County Jail without bond.
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