MIAMI — Dr. Ron DeMeo, of Meridian Cosmetic and Meridian Spine, stands accused of raping a 29-year-old patient at his office in Miami, records showed.
The evidence against DeMeo, 63, includes a video of the sexual assault on Oct. 25 at 2801 SW 3rd Ave., in The Roads neighborhood, according to a Miami Police Department police officer’s arrest report.
The victim told police officers that DeMeo directed her to take a prescribed medication and inhale nitrous oxide, or nitro, for pain management before a cosmetic procedure, according to the police arrest report.
“A staff member offered her a glass of wine (something that’s usually provided to patients), and she accepted it,” a police officer wrote, according to the arrest report in the case.
The victim remembers DeMeo “closing the blinds” and ”feeling as if she was pushed down ... opening her eyes, and seeing [DeMeo] over her body ... she did not have the strength to speak or fight back and just closed her eyes wanting the assault to end," a police officer wrote, according to the arrest report.
Police officers arrested DeMeo, who was born in New Jersey, at 8:50 p.m. on Wednesday at his office, according to police.
Miami-Dade corrections booked DeMeo, who is 6-feet 3-inches tall, shortly before 12:50 a.m. on Thursday at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center, according to inmate records.
DeMeo appeared before Miami-Dade County Circuit Judge Mindy Glazer on Thursday.
“We have a video of the incident clearly, clearly, not even any question, that this was a consensual encounter,” said Attorney Daniel Lurvey, who was representing DeMeo in bond court.
Glazer asked why, if the victim was unconscious, she managed to record the incident with her cell phone.
“The response to that in mediation was that the phone fell to the ground and automatically, or accidentally started recording,” Lurvey said.
The victim in the case attempted to extort DeMeo for millions before she reported him to police, Lurvey said in court.
“This is a shakedown by this alleged victim, and I don’t say these types of things very often, it’s outrageous what is going on,” Lurvey said.
DeMeo faced three counts of sexual battery committed on a victim who is physically helpless. Miami-Dade County Circuit Judge Ariel Rodriguez was set to preside over the case.
Glazer ordered a total lockdown house arrest, ordered DeMeo to avoid practicing medicine while the case remains open, and to stay away from the victim.
According to the Florida Department of Health’s license verification database, DeMeo began practicing in 1989; had staff privileges at Coral Gables Hospital and Palm Springs General Hospital in Hialeah; was also licensed to practice in Texas; and he had no public complaints, discipline cases, or emergency actions.
DeMeo listed his affiliations as the American Medical Association, American Pain Society, and the International Spinal Injection Society, according to his FDOH profile. He had also authored publications about anesthesiology in peer-reviewed medical literature.
Detectives asked anyone with information about this or other cases to call Miami-Dade County Crime Stoppers at 305-471-8477 to remain anonymous.
Local 10 News Assignment Desk Editor Mercedes Cevallos contributed to this report.
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