State health regulators have yanked a Boca Raton psychiatrist off the job after an emergency order alleged he pressured two patients to take off clothing during appointments and to send him photos. The Florida Department of Health described the reported conduct as a willful abuse of professional power that had to be addressed immediately. The incidents described in state records stretch across both telehealth and in-office visits between late 2024 and mid-2025.
State orders and filings
The Florida Department of Health issued an emergency suspension order on Jan. 21, 2026, and, according to a separate Florida Department of Health enforcement listing, filed an administrative complaint two days later. Those entries identify the physician by name and strip him of the authority to practice in Florida while the case moves through administrative proceedings. Emergency suspension orders are summary actions the department uses when it decides a health care provider presents an immediate risk to patients.
What the order alleges
The emergency order quotes patients who say Dr. Andrew Sorial repeatedly escalated requests to inspect their bodies and to receive photos, including a video visit in which he allegedly asked a patient to strip to her bra and underwear and a Dec. 9, 2024, appointment in which he allegedly asked another patient to show her bare breasts, as reported by the Miami Herald. According to the Herald, the order says a second patient was told body inspections were necessary to prescribe certain medications and that the requests intensified through June 2025. In the state’s telling, the conduct amounts to an improper use of professional power to sexually exploit patients.
Practice and profile
Dr. Sorial is listed as a physician at Boca Raton Psychiatry, where his profile and contact information appear on the clinic’s website. The practice page notes telehealth availability and an office in central Boca Raton. The department’s enforcement action focuses solely on the physician’s license and fitness to practice and is separate from any civil or criminal claims that might be pursued elsewhere.
Legal backdrop
Florida law defines sexual misconduct in the practice of health care and bars practitioners from using the professional relationship to induce sexual activity; statutes also say a patient’s consent is not a defense in certain situations. For background on the state’s standards and prohibitions, see Florida Statutes, Chapter 456. That framework gives the Department of Health authority to take emergency action when a licensee is viewed as an immediate threat to patients.
Possible penalties and next steps
An emergency suspension pulls a practitioner out of practice immediately while department investigators build an administrative case, and the licensee may request an administrative hearing under state rules. Disciplinary guidelines state that telehealth registrants face strict sanctions for boundary violations, including lengthy suspensions or revocation in serious cases; see the state’s disciplinary guidelines for specifics. For more on penalties and telehealth-related discipline, consult the Legal Information Institute.
What happens next
The department will notify complainants and the administrative complaint will proceed through Florida’s disciplinary process, where evidence will be reviewed and a recommended order issued. If probable cause is found, final agency action could include revocation of the physician’s license or other disciplinary measures. Public records of hearings and filings will show how the case unfolds from here.
