Brain surgeon fired from Arkansas hospital pleads not guilty to sexual assault of children charges

This undated photo provided by the Watsonville Police Department shows Dr. James Kohut. Kohut, a longtime neurosurgeon in Santa Cruz at Sutter Maternity and Surgery Center, as well as Dominican Hospital., was arrested Sunday, May 14, 2017, at his home in Santa Cruz, Calif, on multiple charges involving child sexual abuse. (Watsonville Police Department via AP)
This undated photo provided by the Watsonville Police Department shows Dr. James Kohut. Kohut, a longtime neurosurgeon in Santa Cruz at Sutter Maternity and Surgery Center, as well as Dominican Hospital., was arrested Sunday, May 14, 2017, at his home in Santa Cruz, Calif, on multiple charges involving child sexual abuse. (Watsonville Police Department via AP)

SANTA CRUZ, Calif. — A brain surgeon who was recently fired from an Arkansas hospital pleaded not guilty Friday to 10 felony charges accusing him of sexually assaulting two boys and a girl under 14 years old as part of a child sex ring with seven victims.

James Kohut entered the plea in a Santa Cruz County court, the Santa Cruz Sentinel reported. His attorney, Jay Rorty, declined to comment, the newspaper said.

Kohut remains in custody, but the state medical board has asked a judge to block him from practicing medicine.

Kohut was arrested as part of an investigation into child sex that also led to charges against two nurses, Emily Stephens and Rashel Brandon.

Kohut had been hired by Sparks Health System in Fort Smith but was fired May 15 after about 2 weeks, the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette previously reported. The Arkansas State Medical Board issued an emergency suspension of his medical license last week.

Watsonville police say a resident in May gave them a video shot in March of the two nurses having sex with children as young as 3 years old at a motel.

Court documents say Kohut had sex with two boys in the presence of the nurses. The children have been placed in protective custody, Watsonville police Capt. Jorge Zamora has said.

It was not clear whether Stephens had an attorney. She remains in custody in Tucson, Ariz., after her arrest there May 12 on six felony child sex abuse charges involving three children under the age of 10 and three children under 14, the Sentinel reported.

Police arrested Brandon on May 9 in Watsonville, Calif.

A call to her attorney, public defender Anthony Robinson, was not immediately returned. Brandon's brother, Isaac Lynn of San Jose, told the Sentinel his family is supporting Brandon.

"The family is coping," Lynn said. "All the family members love her for who she is."

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