Orem family practice doctor arrested in lewdness, sex abuse case

OREM — An Orem family practice doctor was booked into jail Monday for investigation of lewdness and forcible sex abuse involving a 60-year-old patient.

Dr. David R. Hillam, 44, was arrested following a two-week investigation. He came to the attention of investigators when a woman went to the police station and reported that her doctor, Hillam, had showed her some inappropriate videos at his office, said Orem Police Sgt. Craig Martinez.

The woman had been Hillam's patient for seven years, but she told police he only started showing her the videos in early 2012, a police affidavit filed in 4th District Court states. The videos were allegedly displayed on the doctor's phone and were "very inappropriate and sexual in nature," Martinez said.

All of the videos allegedly involved Hillam engaging in some type of sexual conduct and the woman reported seeing at least six videos. Hillam admitted showing the videos to the woman, the affidavit states.

While talking to police, the woman also claimed the doctor had administered unnecessary gynecological exams over the course of three years. The affidavit states that the woman "is in poor health" and visits Hillam as many as four times a week. She reported that Hillam gave her a gynecological exam "even when she was in for some other type of medical complaint," the affidavit states.

She estimated this happened at least 10 times.

"I think the videos were kind of a breaking point," Martinez said. "It was a little disturbing and then when she started sitting down and talking about it … the stuff came out about the vaginal exams."

Hillam denied that the exams were at all sexual in nature. But he told an investigator with the Utah Division of Occupational and Professional Licensing "that there were times" he performed gynecological exams on the victim "and it was for sexual pleasure," the police affidavit states.

The division confirmed Tuesday it was working with Orem police on this case and is "currently seeking disciplinary action against David Richard Hillam's professional licenses."

Hillam was booked into the Utah County Jail. Orem police are asking other patients of Hillam who may have something to report to call 801-229-7070.

"We don't have reason to believe that there are (other victims), but this guy probably has quite a few patients," Martinez said. "We want to make sure we're protecting everybody."

He said patients need to be aware that all doctors have specialties and while it's not totally impossible for a family doctor to need to conduct gynecological exams, patients should be wary when doctors do things inconsistent with their specialties.

"It should be a red flag to the patient when (a doctor) examines my arm when I have a sore throat," Martinez said.

An employee at the Parkway Health Center in Orem, where Hillam worked, said he was no longer at the clinic and indicated that Hillam stopped seeing patients Sept. 21.

As of Tuesday, Hillam's physician and controlled substance licenses were still classified as "active." An Internet profile indicates he is the father of three children.

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