A former urgent care physician whose license to practice medicine in Hawaii was forfeited in 2020 is accused of soliciting a minor for prostitution at a county beach park in Hilo.
According to court documents filed by police, 75-year-old Robert Wagner Goodwin of Mountain View was arrested at about 4:30 p.m. Saturday at Carlsmith Beach Park along the Keaukaha shoreline. He was later charged with commercial sexual exploitation of a minor and four counts of soliciting prostitution at a public park.
Five teenagers — a 13-year-old girl, a 14-year-old girl, two 15-year-old girls and a 15-year-old boy — told police they were celebrating an early birthday for the 14-year-old when they saw a highly-intoxicated Goodwin slip and fall, documents state. When they offered to help him up, Goodwin said he was OK and declined.
The teens told officers that when they returned to a canopy tent they set up on the waterfront, Goodwin followed them and sat inside in the tent, according to documents.
The teens told police Goodwin allegedly told them he wanted to have sex with them and requested they sit on his lap because he had a razor he could use to shave their privates.
The two 15-year-old girls went to get an adult to remove Goodwin, according to police, and Goodwin allegedly told the remaining three teens if they wanted to have an orgasm, he is a doctor and knows how everything works.
The three told officers Goodwin called the 14-year-old “cute,” told her he had marijuana, and asked if she’d have sex with him if he gave her some, according to documents.
Documents state the two 15-year-old girls returned with an adult, who asked Goodwin to leave the teens’ tent.
At Goodwin’s initial court appearance Tuesday, Deputy Public Defender Patrick Munoz requested Goodwin — who has no prior felony convictions — be freed from custody on court-supervised release without monetary bail.
Deputy Prosecutor Kevin Soong objected and asked for an increase in bail, noting that commercial sexual exploitation of a minor is a Class B felony.
Hilo District Judge Jeffrey Hawk denied the motion for supervised release, increased Goodwin’s bail from $14,000 to $54,000, and ordered him to return Thursday for a preliminary hearing.
The maximum penalty for conviction of a Class B felony is 10 years imprisonment. The other charges, soliciting prostitution in a public park, are misdemeanors punishable by a year in jail upon conviction.
Email John Burnett at jburnett@hawaiitribune-herald.com.
