Washington state doctor charged with raping two female patients

SEATTLE (Reuters) - A Washington state doctor has been arrested on charges of raping two female patients who sought care for back pain, prompting more than a dozen other women to come forward accusing him of assault and inappropriate sexual conduct, police said on Thursday. Dr. Darren Chotiner, 46, of Bremerton, was arrested on Tuesday and faces charges of second-degree rape, Detective Sergeant Kevin Crane of the Bremerton Police Department said. Chotiner was likely to face additional charges as police continue to gather evidence and interview a string of accusers who have come forward since his arrest, Crane said. Crane said that "somewhere more than 15-plus women" have come forward making accusations that vary "all the way from inappropriate comments to taking indecent liberties and rape." Chotiner was taken into custody after two women said they were raped during medical examinations for back pain, and he was later released on bail, police said. Chotiner began practicing medicine in Washington state in 2007 and has had his license temporarily suspended amid the ongoing criminal investigation, court documents show. (Reporting by Victoria Cavaliere; Editing by Cynthia Johnston and Will Dunham)