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Doctor charged with sex crimes against patients granted bond with conditions

Posted at 5:02 PM, Dec 06, 2022
and last updated 2022-12-06 17:02:15-05

NEW KENT COUNTY, Va. -- Dr. Daniel Davidow, the former medical director of Cumberland Hospital for Children and Adolescents in New Kent County, was granted bond at a Tuesday hearing. The terms of his $20,000 bond include staying in Virginia, undergoing pretrial supervision, having no contact with alleged victims and their families, and having no unsupervised visits with any non-relatives under 18 years old.

Davidow was indicted by a grand jury on November 21 on two charges of aggravated sexual battery of someone who is incapacitated, and two counts of object sexual penetration by force.

The two accusers were formerly patients at the Cumberland Hospital for Children and Adolescents.

During Tuesday's bond hearing in New Kent County, Commonwealth's Attorney Scott Renick argued there were a “number of alleged victims” and “additional charges” could be coming as the police investigation is finalized.

Davidow's defense said they were prepared to defend this case and pointed out Davidow has no previous criminal record.

Davidow is due in court on January 30, 2023, for a status hearing.

Virginia State Police had been investigating the hospital since 2017.

The CBS 6 Problem Solvers have been looking into allegations of abuse and neglect against certain Cumberland staff members since 2019.

The indictment stated Davidow sexually abused a patient with the initials K.J. from October 16, 2017, until December 1, 2017.

Davidow is also accused of abusing a patient with the initials R.H. from March 1, 2018, until April 30, 2018. She spoke to CBS 6, WTKR's sister station, in February 2021.

In both cases, investigators allege Davidow committed abuse “through the victim’s mental incapacity or physical helplessness.”

Davidow served as Cumberland’s medical director for more than 20 years but was terminated in February 2020, shortly after a CBS 6 investigative report detailing some of the accusations against him. He became the third Cumberland employee to be criminally indicted.

Psychotherapist Herschel “Mickey” Harden died by suicide in February 2021, the day prosecutors said he was to plead guilty to a sex crime against a former patient. R.H. was also the alleged victim in that case.

Later that year, a behavior technician named Stacey Burrell was convicted of burning a non-verbal patient with hot water.