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Grand jury indicts former Massachusetts pediatrician who allegedly sexually abused 15 patients – Boston 25 News

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BROCKTON, Massachusetts – A retired Norwell pediatrician has been indicted on charges he sexually abused 15 children who were his patients at South Shore Medical Center over a period of more than two decades.

Richard A. Kauff, 68, faces nine counts of rape of a child and eight counts of indecent assault on a child under the age of 14, Plymouth County District Attorney Tim Cruz said in a statement.

A Plymouth County grand jury indicted Kauff on Friday. Cruz said the grand jury issued 17 indictments against 15 different victims spanning 23 years after a months-long investigation.

( Former Norwell pediatrician charged with sexually abusing young girls during annual checkups )

Kauff is free from Hingham District Court on $50,000 bail and is ordered to stay away and have no contact with the victims or the South Shore Medical Center facilities in Norwell and Kingston, Cruz said.

Prosecutors also ordered Kauff to refrain from unsupervised contact with children under 16, surrender his passport, remain in Massachusetts and give up his medical license.

Richard Kauff (Dr. Richard Kauff appears in Hingham District Court)

In November, Kauff voluntarily agreed to give up his license and no longer practice as a doctor.

Kauff has worked as a pediatrician since 1983, most recently at South Shore Medical Center in Norwell, Cruz said. He treated patients at South Shore Medical Center’s offices in Kingston and Norwell until his retirement in 2022.

On October 4, 2023, an anonymous person posted in a local Facebook group that they believed they had been sexually assaulted during an annual physical. Others responded to the Facebook post, urging the victim to report the incident to Norwell Police.

The next day, another victim reported a similar incident to Norwell police. Both victims claimed the perpetrator was Kauff, Cruz said.

Former Norwell pediatrician charged with sexually abusing young patients during annual checkups (Health on the South Coast)

After Norwell police filed charges against Kauff in Hingham District Court, more than three dozen people came forward to report similar experiences with Kauff, Cruz said.

A comprehensive grand jury investigation followed to identify additional alleged victims and to examine the possibility of prosecution based on analysis of the statute of limitations and other legal aspects.

Kauff will be arraigned in Supreme Court at a later date.

This is a developing story. Check back later for updates as more information becomes available.

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