A former doctor at the Macomb County Jail is accused of having sexual encounters with female inmates in the lockup's medical center, the county prosecutor said Thursday.
Steven Cogswell of Waterford is charged with six counts of second-degree criminal sexual conduct, a felony punishable by up to 15 years in prison if convicted, Prosecutor Eric Smith said in a release posted on social media.
Police and prosecutors allege that between August and September, Cogswell engaged in a series of sexual encounters with multiple inmates who were receiving treatment in the jail.
His phone contained a number of explicit videos and photographs after it was recovered and searched by the sheriff's office, according to Smith's release.
It stated Cogswell has been terminated from Correct Care Solutions, the medical group the county contracts with to provide medical care to inmates, as a result of the accusations.
“This man’s actions were an outrageous abuse of power,” Smith said. "Doctor Cogswell had access to vulnerable women and sexually exploited them. This type of despicable behavior from a medical professional will not be tolerated."
Messages were left for Smith and a spokesperson at Correct Care Solutions seeking additional information and comment.
Sheriff Anthony Wickersham said his office is confirming an investigation and that further information will be released Friday. He declined to release details Thursday.
There were no formal complaints or disciplinary actions listed for Cogswell's name in an online search with the Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs. A medical doctor license was issued in 1999 and expires in 2021, according to the records.
The doctor's arrest is the latest in a series of problems at the lockup, including several lawsuits filed after inmate deaths.
In a Free Press story last month, officials said the aging jail also had been at or over capacity for the past several months, with millions of dollars in Band-Aid repairs being spent as the county works on designs for expanding or replacing the lockup.
