Neurosurgeon convicted of sexually assaulting woman at Glasgow club

Molina approached the woman from behind, put his hand under her skirt and touched her intimately.

Married Molina is an associate professor at Washington University School of Medicine and is a spine-fellow-trained neurosurgeon.

Molina, of St. Louis, Missouri, faces career ruin after he was convicted of sexually assaulting the woman.

Sheriff Paul Reid told him: "With some hesitation, I will continue your bail but do not read anything into this.

"You behaved disgustingly. You behaved like a predator and took advantage of a young woman who was worse for wear.

"What you will learn is that in this country we protect our females who can dress how they like and drink how they like and will be protected from people like you.

"To organise your patients' affairs, I will admit you to bail, and you will surrender your passport to the sheriff's clerk."

Molina slumped his head after the verdict was announced and sighed before he whispered: “Okay.”

Glasgow Sheriff Court earlier heard that Molina and friends had been in the city for a conference that day.

They later went out to the city's West End around 7pm before going to Kong nightclub to continue drinking alcohol.

Molina told jurors that he came into contact with his victim, whom he did not know.

There were claims that he pretended to the woman that he was a police officer, which he refuted.

He also insisted in evidence, when challenged by prosecutor Leo McGinn, that "nothing overtly sexual" happened between them initially.

CCTV played to court showed the pair later at separate areas of the bar, with the woman talking to another man.

But Mr McGinn described the footage in his closing speech: "Molina appeared and touched her bum with his hand on the right side.

"He placed his hand under her denim skirt."

The fiscal depute then went on to describe how Molina touched her intimately.

Mr McGinn went on: "Remember how she felt in the aftermath? Tearful. How did she look to you [giving evidence]? She did not seem a lot more comfortable about what happened - telling you about it after all this time. She required a break.

"Clearly she was reliving a traumatic experience which she did not consent to."

The manager of Kong recalled seeing the woman upset after what happened and her eyes were "filling up."

A security guard told jurors the woman "looked like she was crying."

Molina told jurors that the pair had earlier discussed going back to his hotel room.

He stated that when he touched the woman at the bar, he said: "Don't mind if I put my hand here do you? and was told that she "did not mind."

John Scullion KC, defending, asked if the woman "said anything or reacted in any way to say she was not continuing to consent?"

Molina replied: "No, she didn't."

Molina claimed that he initially left the woman with his friends before he returned to the nightclub, where he was stopped by security and spoken to before he was arrested.

The sentence was deferred on the first offender pending background reports until next month.