Dr. Stewart Bitman Arrested
After Sending Explicit Photos to a Minor
On Tuesday, January 26, 2021, Dr. Stewart Bitman, a gastroenterologist of thirty years who has been affiliated with many hospitals in Broward and Miami-Dade counties, was arrested and criminally charged for allegedly sending sexually explicit photos of himself to a 13-year-old. Dr. Stewart Bitman was booked at the Broward County Main Jail and faces three counts of transmission of material harmful to a minor and one count of solicitation of a minor. Bitman has been licensed to practice medicine in Florida since 1990. At a bond hearing on January 27, Dr. Bitman’s bond was set at $80,000 ($20,000 for each criminal charge) and he was ordered to have no contact with minors and prohibited from traveling outside of South Florida. No emergency orders restricting his medical license have been entered yet by the Florida Department of Health.
According to media reports, a joint investigation with Broward Sheriff’s Office Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) detectives and Coral Springs Police Department began in April 2020. The investigation revealed that Bitman sent sexually explicit messages and photographs to an underage girl. Detectives believe Bitman knew he was communicating with a minor, and while attempting to solicit victims, he portrayed himself as a teenage boy.
Officers reported that the texts revealed Bitman to be sitting at a desk/table in front of a computer with his drawstring shorts/pants and white underpants pulled down below his genitals. The text that is displayed across the picture says, “How many classes RU having each day?”
A SWAT team carried out a search of Bitman’s Parkland home on January 26, taking the doctor into custody and seizing multiple electronic devices for further analysis. Bitman had an office in Coral Springs (3001 Coral Hills Dr. Suite 250, Coral Springs, FL 33065) with Digestive CARE according to his state medical license. The investigation is ongoing. Detectives are working to identify any additional victims with whom Bitman may have communicated.
If you or someone you know has been subjected to sexual miscodnuct by a physician or at a doctor’s office or hospital, it is important to have experienced legal counsel. We are experienced in handling cases involving sexual assault by doctors and other medical personnel. If you have been a victim of sexual assault by a doctor in a hospital or medical office, or if you know someone who has, please contact our law firm at (954) 641-2100 or send an email to sexual abuse lawyer Adam Horowitz at [email protected]