Santa Cruz County pediatrician under investigation again
A Watsonville area pediatrician is under investigation after one parent reported an inappropriate examination of their child.
The incident was reported in May 2018 and Dr. Patrick Clyne has been under investigation ever since.
“This parent reported some sort of improper strange medical practices during the examination of a
child,” Watsonville Police Department public information officer Michelle Pulido said.
It’s not the first time Clyne has been accused of improper behavior with children. Accusations against the doctor date back to the early 2000s.
“In the past, Dr. Clyne was investigated in Santa Clara County after allegations of sexual abuse against children surfaced. A grand jury also decided to not move forward and indict him,” Pulido said.
Dr. Clyne spoke with the San Francisco Chronicle about those allegations in Santa Clara County.
“My past has been investigated a lot, and there hasn’t been a time that a D.A. felt there was enough evidence to sustain a charge…It’s hard for me to know why people would say these things
occurred,” Clyne said.
Although no charges ever surfaced, hearing of the allegations is enough for one mom, who’s children see Dr. Clyne, to find a new pediatrician.
“I was shocked, surprised, scared, knowing the fact both my sons went to that clinic and was actively seen by that physician,” Cristina Diaz said.
Diaz says the number of allegations in the past, which Watsonville Police Department says is at least a dozen, has her questioning why the doctor still has a license.
“Having it be as active as in May, it is just crazy how he is still practicing medicine and be able to be in a room with [children],” Diaz said.
We contacted California’s Medical Board, which would only say they are, “unable to provide information regarding its complaints and investigations as both are confidential by law.”
Watsonville Police are asking for any parents who think something strange happened during a visit with Dr. Clyne to contact them.
