Massachusetts pediatrician pleads not guilty in sexual abuse of 18 children

A retired Massachusetts pediatrician pleaded not guilty Friday to charges that he sexually abused 18 children in his care over two decades.

Dr. Richard Kauff, 68, of Norwell, was indicted by a grand jury late last month on 11 counts of rape of a child by force and nine counts of indecent touching and battery of a child under 14.

The alleged abuse occurred when Kauff worked at two practices at South Shore Medical Center in Norwell from 1983 until his retirement in 2022, prosecutors said.

He was arraigned Friday in Plymouth Superior Court, where he pleaded not guilty to all charges, officials said. Kauff was released on the $50,000 bond he previously posted and is due back in court on Sept. 17.

The trigger for the investigation into the alleged misconduct was a Facebook post in which an anonymous person wrote that they “believed they had been sexually abused during an annual examination,” according to the prosecutor’s office.

Another person reported a similar incident involving Kauff to Norwell police. Since then, more than three dozen people have come forward reporting similar incidents, officials said.

“After months of investigation, the grand jury has brought 20 indictments against 18 victims spanning 23 years,” said a statement from the office of Plymouth District Attorney Timothy J. Cruz.

Kauff’s defense attorney, Kellie Porges, vehemently denied any wrongdoing.

“In 40 years of his career treating generations of children, there has not been the slightest hint of impropriety,” Porges told CBS Boston outside the courthouse. “This was a very upsetting day for him and he is absolutely innocent.”