A former Washington University associate professor of neurosurgery and orthopedic surgery is awaiting sentencing after a Scottish court convicted him of sexually assaulting a woman at a Glasgow nightclub in April 2025. Dr. Camilo Molina, once a rising star in spinal surgery innovation, denied the allegation in court, but a jury at Glasgow Sheriff Court found him guilty, and he is expected to be sentenced next month.
According to STLtoday.com, the court accused Molina of approaching the woman from behind and touching her under her skirt without consent at the club in Glasgow, Scotland. The outlet reports that the Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service did not respond to questions about the case, and that Molina did not respond to a comment request either. During trial, prosecutor Leo McGinn presented CCTV footage and nightclub staff testimony showing the victim visibly crying, while Molina testified that he had asked the woman for consent and claimed she agreed to physical contact, according to The Herald.
What Happened the Night of the Assault
Trial evidence established that Molina and a group of medical colleagues had traveled to Glasgow to attend a professional conference on April 5, 2025, before heading to the West End and later to the Kong nightclub in the city centre, per the same Herald report. Molina also denied separate allegations raised during proceedings that he had falsely claimed to be a police officer to the victim that night. The case reference was SCS/2025-100232.
Presiding Sheriff Paul Reid granted Molina temporary bail to allow him to organize his patients' medical affairs before sentencing, but ordered him to surrender his passport, describing his conduct as predatory and disgusting, as reported by Rayo. Under Section 3 of the Sexual Offences (Scotland) Act 2009, a conviction for non-consensual sexual assault carries a maximum statutory penalty of up to life imprisonment if prosecuted on indictment, or up to 12 months in custody if tried under summary procedure, according to legislation published on legislation.gov.uk.
A Career Built on Surgical Innovation
Before the conviction, Molina served as director of Spinal Deformity and Spinal Oncology at Washington University School of Medicine and Barnes-Jewish Hospital, and he had previously participated in the world's first augmented-reality-guided spinal fusion surgery at Johns Hopkins University in June 2020, according to Barnes-Jewish Hospital. STLtoday.com reports Molina worked as deputy director of spine innovation at Washington University's Center for Innovation in Neuroscience and Technology, where he helped develop technology allowing surgeons to view 3D visualizations of CT scans through an augmented-reality headset — work that earned a spot on Time magazine's list of the best inventions of 2021.
WashU Pages Remain Active
Since the conviction, Molina's profile and WashU Lab pages remained active. The university has not detailed the circumstances of his departure or any formal severance from its faculty. It remains unclear whether Missouri's medical licensing authorities intend to take any action against Molina's active license in light of the conviction.
Molina's conviction has overshadowed his professional reputation as he awaits sentencing next month.
