Doctor with Neighborhood Health Association arrested for alleged sexual assault

TOLEDO, Ohio (WTVG) - A doctor with the Neighborhood Health Association was arrested for an alleged sexual assault, court records show. The victim is a former patient, according to the Ohio Medical Board. However, NHA president, Doni Miller, tells 13 Action News that she has confirmed that the victim was not an NHA patient or staff member, and the allegation does not involve the organization.

According to Lucas County court records, Dr. Fidelis Obu, the NHA’s Interim Chief Medical Officer, is facing a Gross Sexual Imposition charge and an Abduction charge. He entered a not-guilty plea to the charges on Monday.

A Lucas County Grand Jury indicted him on Sept. 12 for alleged crimes that happened in October 2019. The report from Toledo Police did not disclose a narrative of events but did say the victim was an acquaintance who reported the alleged crime in October 2019. The Lucas County booking sheet showed Obu was arrested on Sept. 14, 2023.

An official with the NHA released the following statement on the incident:

“We have been informed of his arrest and can tell you that it is unrelated to his work at this organization. In fact, we have no knowledge as to the detail or circumstances upon which this arrest is based,” an official said.

The Ohio Medical Board issued a citation for Obu on August 9, 2023. It details allegations that he invited a former patient and co-worker to his home where he “groped her breasts by force, pushed her onto a bed and held her there by her neck, and then attempted to pull down her pants while rubbing his erect penis against her body and making statements indicating forced sexual intercourse and then subsequently shut and locked the residence door when she tried to leave.”

Obu has requested an administrative hearing to address the allegations that is scheduled for May of 2024. Afterward, an attorney will recommend a proposed sanction. Obu’s medical license is still active.

The court ordered him to be under electronic monitoring and barred him from having any contact with the victim. His trial is scheduled for October 13.

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