Canadian doctor sentenced on sex assaults

A Canadian anesthesiologist will serve 10 years in prison after being convicted of sexually assaulting women while they were sedated on the operating table. George Doodnaught, 65, was convicted in the Toronto suburb of North York of sexually abusing 21 women ages 25-75. Prosecutors said during the 76-day trial Doodnaught took advantage of a sterile screen that separates patients' upper and lower bodies. Shielded from the view of other doctors and nurses, prosecutors said Doodnaught fondled women's breasts, kissed them and forced them to perform oral sex and masturbation while they were unconscious or semiconscious, the Toronto Star reported Tuesday. Doodnaught had been a popular doctor at North York General Hospital for 26 years prior to his arrest. Before the formal complaint filed to hospital administrators in 2010 that triggered the criminal investigation, three other instances of sexual misconduct were made the the hospital's chief anesthesiologist, who failed to notify superiors, prosecutors said. Doodnaught's lawyer said he plans to appeal the conviction. Doodnaught also faces a review by the Ontario College of Physicians and Surgeons and likely will have his medical license revoked, the Star said.