A Denver cardiologist accused of drugging and assaulting nearly a dozen women he met through dating apps was convicted on more than 30 counts Tuesday.
A jury found Dr. Stephen Matthews, 36, guilty on 35 counts, including sexual assault and assault charges, according to CBS News.
Matthews pleaded not guilty upon his arrest in October 2023.
According to prosecutors, Matthews met his female victims on dating apps, like Hinge and Tinder from 2019 to 2023, and assaulted each woman in a similar way.
The women recalled after having drinks with the perpetrator and blacking out, leading them to believe they were drugged. Some women sensed they were also sexually assaulted.
Prosecutors said Matthews engaged in a pattern when targeting victims.
"What we do know is that this is an obvious, obvious case of a man who feels entitled to perpetrate against women for his own benefit, by robbing them of memory, by robbing them of bodily autonomy, and by impairing their memories," prosecutors said, according to the outlet.
One of the victims spoke with detectives "about the horrific things she remembers," said prosecutors, according to KDVR-TV. "She remembers brief periods of time where she wakes up handcuffed and she's naked on the defendant's sofa and wakes up vomiting."
The defense argued there was a lack of proof.
"This would be a case about stories, and at the end of the case, the DA's closing rested largely on stories, accusing stories that changed and often went untested by the government," defense attorneys said. "The case did have a lot of overwhelming emotion. We all were moved by the testimony that you heard. It was tough to listen to, but that's what the case ended up being about, overwhelming emotion and underwhelming evidence."
Matthews was acquitted on three sexual assault charges, according to the Denver Post. He will be sentenced Oct. 25.
