CHULA VISTA, Calif. — A Chula Vista doctor has pleaded guilty to five counts of filming women inside of a Veterans Affairs Clinic bathroom for more than a year, according to the San Diego County District Attorney's Office.
A criminal judge sentenced Dr. Vincent Tran on December 6 to 30 days in custody as well as one-year probation. Tran, who received his medical license in 2007, must also stay away from all VA hospitals and complete treatment. A judge also ordered him to surrender his medical license for five years. State Court Judge Garry Haehnle also ordered Tran to pay restitution to the women he recorded.
CBS 8 was the first to report on the criminal charges filed against Tran as well as the California Medical Board's decision to place Tran on probation.
Tran was initially charged with 14 misdemeanor counts of secretly filming a person and invading their privacy with a concealed camera.
According to a recently filed Medical Board document, Tran purchased two spy cameras that looked like pens in February 2020 and placed them inside the restrooms of the clinic located at 3rd Avenue in Chula Vista.
The pens would record for approximately 25 minutes at a time, according to the Medical Board's investigation. Tran, reads the investigation, later "stated he would retrieve the cameras and download the recordings for his personal viewing."
Added the Medical Board accusation, "[Tran] stated he would recharge the batteries and then replace the cameras in the restroom for further recording."
The cameras were discovered in March of 2021. Recordings of several women inside the restrooms were later found on Tran's personal electronic devices.
In June of this year, two women who were filmed filed a civil lawsuit against the family practitioner.
CBS 8 spoke to Paul Starita, an attorney with Gomez Trial Attorneys, who filed the lawsuit on behalf of two of the alleged victims, who worked at the Chula Vista clinic.
“Our clients are nurses. And, you know, they're concerned about the fact that he's still out there in the community and still caring for patients,” Starita told CBS 8 in June of this year.
Added Starita, “They were devastated. They both describe it as being violated, you know, that it is tantamount to a sexual assault. It was something that really caused them great emotional distress."
CBS 8 reached out to Tran's defense attorney. The attorney was unable to comment in time for publication. The story will be updated when a comment is provided.
