A Newport Beach physician who ran a Riverside skin-care clinic will never practice medicine again after pleading guilty to sexually assaulting female patients, bringing a years-long criminal case to a close just as it was headed to trial.
Dr. Sam Sannoufi, 55, entered guilty pleas Monday to three misdemeanor counts of sexual battery involving unconscious victims under an agreement with the Riverside County District Attorney’s Office.
As part of the deal, prosecutors dismissed nine felony charges that had also been filed against him.
The plea was finalized at the Riverside Hall of Justice moments before jury proceedings were set to begin.
Superior Court Judge Joshlyn Pulliam sentenced Sannoufi to two years of probation, ordered him to pay restitution and required him to register as a sex offender.
The registration requirement effectively bars him from maintaining a medical license, ending his ability to treat patients.
“It was paramount to our office that we made sure that this defendant was convicted and that, with this plea, he must register as a sex offender for life and have his medical license permanently revoked for life,” John Hall, a spokesman for the District Attorney’s Office told the Orange County Register.
He said the victims connected to the charges Sannoufi admitted to were satisfied with the outcome.
“All of the victims included in the counts he pled guilty to were satisfied that justice was done and that this defendant would never treat another patient, as well as be a lifetime convicted sex offender,” Hall said.
The judge also issued criminal protective orders covering the three victims, identified in court records only as C.F., J.V. and K.T.
Authorities first arrested Sannoufi in June 2023 after a woman reported being assaulted during a consultation at his business, Timeless Skincare Laser Clinic Primary Care, located at 6900 Brockton Ave.
Investigators accused him of sexual battery and forcible digital penetration.
He posted $1 million bail and was released.
As detectives continued their investigation, additional women came forward with similar allegations.
Sannoufi was arrested again the following month but remained free after posting bond.
According to court documents, one victim reported an assault in 2017.
Another woman alleged assaults in March and June 2021.
A third victim reported being assaulted on June 12, 2023, during a consultation at the clinic.
Hall said the prosecution faced challenges because some alleged victims were hesitant to participate, including one woman who declined to testify.
He noted that California law does not allow alleged sexual assault victims to be compelled to take the stand.
Sannoufi had no prior misdemeanor or felony convictions in Riverside County.
Records from the Medical Board of California show he had been licensed to practice medicine in the state since March 2009.
The license later lapsed in 2024 because of nonpayment.
Board records also indicate he graduated from the Ukrainian State Medical University in Kiev.
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