A 73-year-old family practice doctor denies he "ever touched any patient or anyone else improperly," despite charges that he fondled two women and a 12-year-old girl, according to defense attorney Brook Hart.
Dr. Donald Nicol made his initial appearance Tuesday in Honolulu District Court on three charges that he sexually assaulted the women, ages 21 and 19, and the girl.
District Judge Leslie Hayashi set Oct. 17 as Nicol’s preliminary hearing.
Hart told reporters after the court appearance that Nicol is a physician and that "touching females for the purpose of examination is part of what he does as a job."
Nicol is free on $750,000 bail.
Nicol was arrested Wednesday on suspicion of four counts of first-degree sexual assault, two counts of second-degree sexual assault, one count of third-degree sexual assault and three counts of fourth-degree sexual assault. He was charged last week with one count of first-degree sexual assault and two counts of second-degree sexual assault.
According to court documents, the first-degree sexual assault, involving the minor girl, occurred July 19. The second-degree sexual assaults involved the women and reportedly took place Nov. 4 and Sept. 13.
The women and the girl are patients or former patients of Nicol’s, according to authorities.
Hart said other charges could be made if the doctor is indicted by a grand jury.
Nicol was arrested Wednesday morning at his Kamehameha Highway office in Kahaluu — one of two he maintains. His other family practice office is in the Niu Valley Shopping Center.
Hart said Nicol has been a doctor since he graduated from University of Hawaii medical school in 1978 and did his residency at the Queen’s Medical Center.
Hart said Nicol practiced law in Hawaii after graduating from Stanford Law School in 1967 and Princeton University. Nicol is listed as an inactive member of the Hawaii State Bar Association in its directory.
