Jail time urged in sexual abuse

PROVO — Victims of a once-trusted fertility specialist who pleaded no contest to sexual battery Friday say they hope his license gets revoked so he won't hurt anyone else.

Larry Glen Andrew, 44, an osteopathic physician, was charged in March 2006 with forcible sex abuse, accused of rubbing the genitals of female patients who came to him for help getting pregnant.

"There's an added level of trust when the thing you want most in the world is to have a baby and he's telling you he can help that happen," said one victim, who says she was touched in a sexual way when she went in for what she thought were routine procedures to treat infertility.

"Nobody's 100 percent evil," she continued. "I have a child because of him, but I also understand that he committed crimes against me. I hope DOPL (the Division of Occupational and Professional Licensing) takes away his license and that he goes to jail."

Andrew pleaded no contest Friday to eight class A misdemeanors, rather than go to trial next week on 19 second-degree felony charges of forcible sex abuse.

"He's acknowledging that (the touching) was inappropriate," said defense attorney Ken Brown. However, Brown's client maintains that sexual battery is a very different crime than forcible sex abuse.

"It was a touch likely to cause affront," Brown said. "That's what happened; there was no sexual gratification."

However, the victims disagree and are concerned that Andrew still has a license and is practicing in Springville.

"I didn't realize he was doing things that weren't being done (to other women)," another victim said. Once she did, she said he felt a "moral obligation" to come forward. "I will be really disappointed if he still has that access to patients."

Andrew's license was suspended in December 2005 over alleged indecent liberties, but it was reinstated months later.

The Division of Occupational and Professional Licensing will have a board review of this most recent court action.

"We would have to take a look at the pleadings, and that would then go to the board," said Francine Giani, executive director of the Utah Department of Commerce, which oversees DOPL. "Nothing is going to happen until the board meets to make that decision."