Denver cardiologist sentenced to 158 years for sexual assault

A judge sentenced a former cardiologist at St. Anthony North Hospital to 158 years in prison for drugging and sexually assaulting women.

Denver District Judge Eric Johnson on Friday convicted Stephen, 37, of 35 sexual assault convictions after he attacked at least 11 women between 2019 and 2023, according to a news release from the Denver District Attorney’s Office.

“Here today there is a room full of pain,” Judge Johnson said during the sentencing. “And this is the pain you inflicted on your victims. So much suffering. Deserved none of it.”

Johnson deemed Matthews a “sexually violent predator” who would likely harm someone else if released, ultimately giving him the maximum sentence for his crimes.

“Mr. Matthews, you have shrunk this world,” Johnson said. “Many of the lights have been dimmed which has hurt our society and thanks to you it has become a darker place.”

Matthews was arrested in March 2023 after a woman reported he assaulted her after they went out for brunch. After her story went public, ten more women came forward to report having been victimized by Matthews.

Matthews’ trial began on July 15, with several victims claiming they met Matthews through dating apps like Hinge and Tinder. The women stated that they experienced memory loss after meeting Matthews, and relatives and friends of some of the victims testified that the victims appeared abnormally drunk or disheveled after the dates.

“I am scarred by what happened to me that afternoon,” said a victim at the sentencing on Friday. “I have been in therapy for the past 18 months. Stephen Matthews has taken away the normal appearance for me. I have developed debilitating anxiety and PTSD during sexual encounters where men touching me makes me tremble and cry.”

After a process lasting almost a month, Matthews was found guilty of 35 of the 38 charges against him on August 13.

“I hope this sentence sends the message to everyone in Denver that people who abuse others in the way Mr. Matthews did will be prosecuted by my office to the fullest extent of the law,” said the Denver District Attorney , Beth McCann. release “I also hope that today’s sentence provides some comfort to all of Mr Matthews’ victims, whose courage in coming forward led to this successful outcome.”

The news partner of the Denver Gazette, 9Newscontributed to this report.