Santa Cruz neurosurgeon James Kohut pleads not guilty to child molestation

Santa Cruz Sentinel - 5/26/2017

May 26--SANTA CRUZ -- Santa Cruz brain surgeon James Kohut pleaded not guilty Friday in Santa Cruz County Superior Court to 10 charges on suspicion of raping children.

Kohut made no eye contact with the packed gallery before Superior Court Judge John Salazar during the hearing.

Kohut, who has an active license to practice medicine in California, hired Santa Cruz attorney Jay Rorty, who made a special appearance during Friday's hearing. Rorty replaces San Jose attorney Nicholas Cvietkovich, who withdrew from the case. He declined to comment.

Rorty also declined to comment.

During the hearing, accused child molester Rashel Brandon, a former Dominican Hospital nurse, also made an appearance. Brandon is accused of conspiring with Kohut and Pima County, Arizona nurse Emily Stephens to sexually assault children.

Brandon's brother, Isaac Lynn of San Jose, said his family is supporting Brandon during a challenging time.

"The family is coping," Lynn said. "All the family members love her for who she is."

Lynn, a Marine Corps veteran, said the family hopes she "stays in the right frame of mind."

LENGTHY CASE

Assistant District Attorney Steve Moore said the case likely will be lengthy with volumes of reports.

Moore said the new attorney's appointment doesn't change the course of the case.

He said the prosecution also continues to search for a governor's warrant for Stephens' removal from Tucson, Arizona.

Stephens also is charged in connection with molesting children in Santa Cruz County.

A bail hearing for Kohut is slated 8:15 a.m.July 27.

THE EVIDENCE

On May 9, a Watsonville resident gave police a video, shot in March, of the two nurses, Brandon and Stephens, having sex with children as young as 3 years old in a Scotts Valley motel, Watsonville police said. The evidence triggered allegations that Kohut also had forced girls and boys to have sex with him multiple times since Jan. 1, 2016, according to court documents.

The first arrested was Brandon, 42, at her four-bedroom Cirvelo Street home in Watsonville about 7:30 p.m.May 10.

Police linked evidence to Stephens, 29, who remains in custody, according to jail records.

Evidence seized May 14 at a Santa Cruz home fueled the third arrest: of Kohut, 57, a former Palo Alto Medical Foundation doctor. Kohut remains in custody at Santa Cruz County Jail. On May 9, in the presence of the two nurses, Kohut allegedly sodomized, had intercourse and oral sex with two boys younger than 10 years old, according to court documents.

Kohut faces 10 felonies alleging he engaged in oral sex, intercourse and forced lewd acts on children. Six of the charges can levy life sentences. Kohut is accused of having sex with a boy and girl younger than 10 years old, and a boy younger than 14 years old, since Jan. 1, 2016, according to court documents.

This story will be updated.

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