Trial date set in civil case against former pediatricians

The lawsuit was filed in August 2010 by Mason attorney Konrad Kircher on behalf of a man who was a patient of Scott Blankenburg. A second plaintiff, a former patient of Mark Blankenburg, was later added to the suit. As juveniles, the men were sexually abused and given drugs by the Blankenburgs, according to court documents.

The complaint is asking for a jury trial and damages in excess of $25,000. The trial on claims of a pattern of corrupt activity and civil remedy for a crime is scheduled to begin Jan. 21, 2014.

A trial and a chance to face their abusers can be “very healing” for victims of childhood abuse, Kircher said.

The Blankenburgs still own a house in Hamilton, according to Kircher, which allows the possibility of the defendants to collect monetary damages from the former physicians if a jury should rule in their favor.

Butler County Judge Patricia Oney last month ruled in favor of the defendants, tossing out several charges and others were voluntarily dismissed by the defense.

Jack McGowan, attorney for the Blankenburgs, said they are just now entering the discovery process to evaluate the civil evidence on the remaining claims. He said he is optimistic about the outcome for his clients, noting the majority of the nine original claims are no longer part of the the lawsuit.

One plaintiff says as a child he was a patient of the Blankenburgs and that the twins sponsored numerous sports teams on which he played. In about the eighth or ninth grade, Scott Blankenburg began providing the plaintiff with cigarettes, cigars, alcohol, money and transportation, according to the lawsuit. He said Scott Blankenburg sexually molested him, which continued with the doctor promising to take care of him if he told no one about the abuse, according to the lawsuit. The man also says Mark Blankenburg molested him on occasion and provided drugs.

“Scott Blankenburg repeatedly represented to the plaintiff words to the effect of ‘if you don’t turn me in I will take care of you,” the lawsuit claims, noting Scott Blankenburg promised to leave houses to the plaintiff in his last will and testament and share his retirement account with him. The Blankenburgs also agreed to pay his living expenses in exchange for not reporting the abuse, according to the suit.

The second plaintiff says he he was 13 when he was sexually molested by Mark Blankenburg, who paid him $200 and told him not to tell anyone because “no one will believe you,” according to court documents.