Physician pleads not guilty to sex assault of 3 patients

A 73-year-old family doctor pleaded not guilty Monday in Circuit Court to multiple charges of sexual assault on three female patients, including a minor.

Donald Nicol is charged with four counts of first-degree sexual assault on a 12-year-old girl; two counts of second-degree sexual assault on a 21-year-old woman; and two counts of second-degree sexual assault and two counts of fourth-degree sexual assault on a 19-year-old woman. The two women are sisters.

According to an indictment returned by an Oahu grand jury Oct. 14, the assaults on the 12-year-old happened between August 2011 and July 19, while the assaults on the two sisters took place between September 2011 and Sept. 13.

Nicol is scheduled to go to trial the week of Dec. 22. He is free on $750,000 bail.

He did not make a statement after his Circuit Court arraignment Monday.

However, after an earlier District Court appearance last month, his lawyer, Brook Hart, said Nicol denies touching anyone improperly and that touching females for examination is part of Nicol’s job.

Nicol, who has offices in Kaha­luu and Niu Valley Shopping Center, has been a doctor since he graduated from the University of Hawaii medical school in 1978 and completed his residency at the Queen’s Medical Center.