On November 13, Orlando chiropractor Agostinho Rodrigues was arrested and charged with Sexual Battery and Battery for the fourth time since October for sexually assaulting his patients. Agostinho Rodrigues has been a licensed chiropractor in Florida since 2018. Rodrigues operates his own practice and rents space at The Healthy Human located at 1005 Virginia Drive in Orlando. He also is a former soccer coach and teacher at Edgewater High School in the College Park neighborhood of Orlando. To date, no civil lawsuits by the victims have been filed against Agostinho Rodrigues or any related business entities.
Details of the latest arrest are still being assessed; however, the Orlando Police Department stated that Agostinho Rodrigues, age 62, is facing more charges of sexual battery and battery after he reportedly touched another patient inappropriately while getting her back adjusted. According to court documents and media reports, this was his fourth arrest in five weeks.
On October 7, 2022, Rodrigues was arrested, charged with battery and sexual battery, and booked into the Orange County Jail in Orlando for the offense on September 30 while at his place of business. He was released two days later on a $50,500 bond. The arrest came after a report was made by a female patient of Rodrigues'. According to the arrest affidavit, the woman claims that she had seen "Dr. Tinho" twice before, and this was her third visit for lower back pain. She claims that Rodrigues told her to remove her shirt to check her lymph nodes. She followed directions but left her sports bra on. She alleges that Rodrigues then lifted her bra, exposed her breasts, and rubbed and squeezed her nipples. She said Rodrigues told her it was to drain the lymph nodes. She then says that Rodrigues slipped his hand under her pants and told her he would stimulate her. He allegedly rubbed her clitoris for one minute and placed a finger inside her vagina. The patient believed he was performing a medical procedure, as she had seen him multiple times before and had no reason not to trust him. She told the police that on her second visit, Rodrigues asked her to remove her shirt and perform weight exercises. He also told her he was recording it.
On October 13, 2022, Rodrigues was arrested and charged again with the battery and sexual battery. Rodrigues was arrested one more time on October 24 for an alleged sexual assault that occurred in February, and he was released on a $15,000 bond. All with similar stories. Upon further investigation, police found details of old reports that happened three times during holiday breaks in November and December 2009. The reports stated that Rodrigues allegedly touched a 16-year-old girl in private areas while massaging her after training sessions. The girl was on the Edgewater High School soccer team while he was a teacher and soccer coach. In June 2010, the girl's mother reported the alleged abuse to the Orlando Police Department. On August 25, 2011, a jury comprised of six men found him not guilty of one count of sexual activity with a child and six counts of lewd or lascivious molestation. After Rodrigues was found not guilty, Rodrigues told the Orlando Sentinel, "I feel like I got my life back, and I will continue being a good member of this community, freely."
Finding the right medical provider can be challenging. We seek out seasoned professionals who possess a good bedside manner, compassion, and empathy. When we do finally decide on one, we hope to feel better over time, not be violated by the very person with whom we place our trust. Doctors hold a position of power in the physician-patient relationship under Florida law. It is both unacceptable and unlawful for a healthcare professional to touch a patient in any sexual manner or practice any sexual misconduct while treating the patient.
Horowitz Law has filed numerous sexual misconduct claims against medical professionals on behalf of patients who were inappropriately touched in their care. Under no circumstances is a doctor or nurse permitted to have sexual contact with a patient. If you have been a victim of sexual assault or sexual battery at a medical office or facility, or if you know someone who has, please contact our law firm at 954-641-2100 or send an e-mail to sexual abuse lawyer Adam Horowitz at adam@adamhorowitzlaw.com for a free consultation.