A Chester County med spa doctor is charged with writing opioid prescriptions in exchange for sex
Fred Himmelstein operates Leading Edge Medical Spa in Downingtown, according to police.
A Chester County med spa doctor ordered unnecessary opioid prescriptions for a patient with a history of addiction in exchange for sex, police said.
Fred R. Himmelstein, who owns Leading Edge Medical Spa in Downingtown, faces two felony drug charges in Chester County, according to West Chester Borough police.
Himmelstein first prescribed opioids for the patient in November, after she injured her foot, an employee at Himmelstein’s med spa told police. At least two additional times, Himmelstein wrote prescriptions for opioids in exchange for sex, according to the criminal complaint.
One instance was at Himmelstein’s home, according to law enforcement records. The other was in Himmelstein’s car, in an Acme parking lot, while waiting for the pharmacy to fill the prescription, police said.
The patient told a scheduling coordinator at Himmelstein’s med spa about her relationship with the doctor after he stopped ordering opioids for her, though he resumed writing prescriptions. The employee reported the alleged abuse to police in late January.
Himmelstein told the patient through text messages that he would continue giving her opioid prescriptions if she said the relationship was consensual and “if she continued to be a ‘good girl,’” according to the criminal complaint.
Himmelstein is also charged with a misdemeanor related to giving opioids to a person with a history of addiction.
Himmelstein was released on $100,000 bail. He and his lawyer did not respond to a request for comment.
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Himmelstein’s medical license as a surgeon remains active, according to the Pennsylvania Board of Medicine’s website.
The department cannot comment on whether a licensed provider is being investigated, but “reviews every potential license violation of which it becomes aware,” said Amy Gulli, a spokesperson for the Department of State, which oversees the board.
Editor’s note: This story has been updated to include additional details from police.