By MARTHA BELLISLE
A military doctor has pleaded guilty to sexually abusing dozens of soldiers at Joint Base Lewis-McChord who had primarily sought his care for pain management.
Maj. Michael Stockin, an anesthesiologist and pain management specialist at the base’s Madigan Army Medical Center, faced 52 charges involving claims of abusive sexual contact with 41 victims, said Michelle McCaskill, spokesperson with the U.S. Army Office of Special Trial Counsel.
Stockin pleaded guilty Tuesday to 36 specifications, or counts, of abusive sexual contact and five of indecent viewing, McCaskill said Wednesday. His pleas are subject to the military judge’s approval, she said.
Stockin’s lawyer, Robert Capovilla, did not immediately respond to emails seeking comment Wednesday.
The group Protect Our Defenders called the Stockin case the largest sexual abuse scandal in recent history and called for a congressional review.
Lawyers representing 22 of Stockin’s former patients have filed Federal Tort Claims Act complaints against the U.S. Army and Department of Defense on behalf of 22 servicemen, claiming the agencies were negligent in hiring, supervising and retaining Stockin. Each is seeking $5 million in damages for the emotional distress they say they have suffered.
One serviceman said in his complaint that he was left with “overwhelming feelings of sadness, fear, and anxiety” after allegedly being abused by Stockin.
“Dr. Stockin’s guilty plea and sentencing is an important first step toward justice for the dozens of patients he sexually abused. But the story doesn’t end here,” said Christine Dunn, a lawyer representing the men. “The Army played a substantial role in allowing the rampant sexual abuse to occur in the first place. The time has come for the Army to be held accountable for its negligence. ”
JBLM is the U.S. Army’s fifth-largest base and is about 47 miles (75 kilometers) south of Seattle. It has a population that tops 100,000 — with 40,000 active duty, 50,000 family members and 15,000 civilian and contract employees. The personnel includes the Yakama Training Center. The Madigan medical center is the Army’s second-largest medical treatment facility.
The Army launched an investigation into Stockin in 2022 after receiving multiple complaints, McCaskill said. He was suspended from patient care and was given administrative duties. He was formally charged in August 2023 with 23 counts of abusive sexual contact. In January 2024, the Army Office of Special Trial Counsel referred 52 charges and specifications, stemming from allegations by 41 male patients he treated between 2019 and 2022.
Stockin entered into a plea agreement with prosecutors in September 2024, He entered his guilty plea Tuesday, the first day of his court-martial, which is the military’s trial court system.
An abusive sexual content charge carries a maximum sentence of seven years, and the indecent viewing charge has a maximum of one year. If the judge ran the sexual abuse charges consecutively, he would face a maximum of 336 years in prison, McCaskill said.
Once his plea is accepted, they will turn to the sentencing phase where numerous victims plan to make impact statements, Dunn said.
One of the servicemen described his experience with Stockin in his complaint. He said he a had an appointment for a pulled muscle in his lower back in 2021. He was taken to an exam room and was alone with Stockin when the doctor told him to take off his pants and underwear, according to the complaint. He said Stockin fondled his genitals without wearing gloves.
Three others told similar stories, and they all said they had never had an exam like that before and left feeling uncomfortable and violated.
“I do believe this directly led to exacerbating my drinking because I did not know how to cope with this trauma,” one of the men said. He spent a year drinking until he blacked out, and finally entered an outpatient rehabilitation program to get sober.
