Putnam County Prosecuting Attorney Mark Sorsaia has taken over the investigation into allegations against a Charleston gastroenterologist accused of sexually assaulting patients under anesthesia.
Sorsaia was officially appointed special prosecutor Monday in the investigation of Dr. Steven Matulis, according to an order signed by Kanawha Circuit Judge Duke Bloom.
No charges have been filed against Matulis. Kanawha prosecutors confirmed they were investigating the doctor on sexual assault allegations after a lawsuit was filed earlier this month accusing him of assaulting a 25-year-old woman during a colonoscopy procedure.
Three days after the lawsuit was filed, Kanawha Prosecuting Attorney Charles Miller filed a motion requesting his office be disqualified from the Matulis case because two of his alleged victims are represented by attorneys who are married to assistants in Miller's office.
Bloom granted Miller's disqualification motion and asked the West Virginia Prosecuting Attorneys Institute to appoint a special prosecutor.
Executive Director Philip Morrison said he recommended Sorsaia. Bloom entered an order Monday making the Putnam prosecutor's appointment official.
"I really can't comment on a pending investigation and we don't have a charge," Sorsaia said Monday afternoon.
Generally speaking, he said he works closely with law enforcement throughout the course of an investigation. Charleston police are investigating the matter.
Charleston attorney Ben Bailey, who represents Matulis, wouldn't comment about Sorsaia's appointment Monday. Neither Matulis nor Bailey have commented about any of the allegations surrounding the doctor.
The lawsuit filed April 5 in Kanawha Circuit Court against Matulis, and his medical firm, Charleston Gastroenterology Associates PLLC, by a Boone County woman alleges that police told her in February, about a week after a colonoscopy procedure at Charleston Area Medical Center, that she had been the victim of a sexual assault by Matulis. The woman is represented by Charleston attorney Ben Salango, who is married to Kanawha Assistant Prosecutor Tera Salango.
The woman's lawsuit alleges that Matulis "placed his hands inside her hospital gown and fondled and groped her breasts." The complaint also alleges that the doctor "used his fingers to repeatedly penetrate her vagina."
The alleged incident was "witnessed by one or more employees" of CAMC, according to the lawsuit. Those employees reported the alleged assault to hospital administrators, the lawsuit states.
CAMC spokesman Dale Witte told the Gazette-Mail in a March email that Matulis "is not currently practicing at CAMC" and that the hospital is cooperating with authorities.
The hospital permanently revoked Matulis' privileges to practice medicine at the hospital on March 16, according to the lawsuit.
Charleston attorney J.B. Akers also represents an alleged Matulis victim. Akers, who is married to Kanawha Assistant Prosecutor Maryclaire Akers, said he is waiting to file a lawsuit on behalf of his client until authorities complete their investigation.
Neither Maryclaire Akers nor Tera Salango were part of Kanawha prosecutors' investigation into Matulis, Miller has said.
He said earlier this month that he doesn't know how many alleged victims have been identified by police.
Reach Kate White at kate.white@wvgazettemail.com, 304-348-1723 or follow @KateLWhite on Twitter.