BALTIMORE (February 13, 2019)—Maryland Attorney General Brian E. Frosh announced today that Thurman Rufus Watson, 74, of Oxon Hill, was sentenced by Prince George's County Circuit Court Judge Tiffany Anderson to 20 years incarceration for sexual offense in the second degree, suspending all but 8 years, to be followed by 5 years of supervised probation. As required by law, Watson must register as a sex offender for the rest of his life.
In November 2018, after a four day jury trial, Watson was convicted of sexual offense in the second degree, practicing medicine without a license, and misrepresenting himself as a practitioner of medicine.
The female victim in this case testified at trial that she was sexually assaulted by Watson when she visited his home office on January 19, 2015. She was seeking treatment for weight loss and did not know that Watson was not a licensed physician. At the sentencing hearing, the victim told Judge Anderson that after the attack she felt ashamed and embarrassed but reported it to authorities shortly after the incident.
"Mr. Watson abused the trust we place in medical professionals, and preyed on an unsuspecting victim," said Attorney General Frosh. "Once he serves time behind bars, Watson will be known to the community as sex offender."
In making today's announcement, Attorney General Frosh thanked Assistant Attorney General Jerry E. Jones and investigators from the Office of the Attorney General and the Maryland Board of Physicians for their work on the case.