Canadian doctor jailed seven years for assaulting patients

A Canadian doctor was sentenced to seven years imprisonment for sexually assaulting and selling highly addictive drugs to several of his patients. Sean Buckingham, 47, and from Newfoundland and Labrador Province, was convicted last month of five counts of sexual assault, six counts of trafficking painkillers such as OxyContin and Lorazepam, and one count of assault, according to local media reports. "He took advantage of their vulnerability to exploit them for his own sexual gratification. He has shattered the faith of his patients. ... His actions were vile and deserving of the highest denunciation," said Supreme Court Justice James Adams in passing sentence. According to his victims, Buckingham provided them drugs in exchange for money and sexual favors over a two-year span. A 24- year-old woman testified that Buckingham sodomized her and whipped her with a twig while she was naked and tied to a tree at a local park. Buckingham was arrested at his home on May 26, 2005 after an extensive two-year police investigation. He had denied all the accusations against him, emphasizing he tried to wean his patients off drugs.