A Provo man has been accused of sexually assaulting women while pretending to be a doctor conducting research, the Utah County Sheriff’s Office announced Thursday.
Police arrested 34-year-old Borzin Mottaghian on suspicion of first-degree felony object rape, second-degree felony counts of attempted object rape and forcible sexual abuse, and third-degree felony attempted forcible sexual abuse.
Mottaghian allegedly posted ads on Craiglist asking for paid volunteers to participate in supposed “research for medical devices specific to women‘s healthcare,” according to a news release from the sheriff’s office.
Police have spoken to at least three women who met with Mottaghian, but Sgt. Spencer Cannon said it is “absolutely possible” that there are more victims.
The women individually met Mottaghian at an office in Provo, where he explained his “research” — which was purportedly related to catheters — and gave the women paperwork to fill out, according to the release.
Then, he had the women disrobe and used his hands and objects to sexually assault them, under the guise of conducting an exam. The release also states he allegedly took photos of the women during the assault.
One woman he examined felt uncomfortable and reported what happened to the police. A second woman left Mottaghian’s office after he explained his research and before he sexually assaulted her, the release states.
“There were elements of his acts that made these women feel very uncomfortable,” Cannon said.
He said the women initially had a hard time determining whether Mottaghian was conducting legitimate research, whether they were uncomfortable because they were half-naked in front of someone they thought was a doctor, or whether he was doing something wrong.
“They came to the conclusion independently that this just didn‘t feel right,” Cannon said.
Mottaghian is not a physician, nor is he licensed to perform any kind of medical procedures, according to the release.
According to his IMDB page, Mottaghian has played small parts in various movies, including “Milk,” and “Waiting for Forever.” He also is a co-owner of a restaurant on University Avenue in Provo.
Arrested on Wednesday, Mottaghian was held at the Utah County jail until Thursday afternoon, when he posted $25,000 bail. After a third woman reported sexual assault to police on Thursday afternoon, he was rearrested Thursday night and booked into Utah County jail with bail set at $250,000. Formal charges have not been filed.
Anyone who has participated in the fake research or been victimized by Mottaghian is encouraged to contact Utah County detectives at 801-851-4010 or Utah Valley Dispatch at 801-794-3970.