South Bay doctor faces new allegation of sexual assault

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SUNNYVALE – A Mountain View doctor faces a new sexual assault charge, from a woman who came forward following news of her initial arrest over the summer over allegations that he had befriended and then imposed himself on a woman he had also treated once.

Todd Yao faces a new allegation of sexual assault from a woman who, as her first accuser, told police the doctor befriended her while he was treating her, then made unwanted sexual advances to her. (Sunnyvale Public Safety Department)

The Sunnyvale Department of Public Safety announced on Tuesday that Todd Yao, 50, was arrested again on Friday. A police press release and court records indicate that Yao was charged with sexual assault and battery in the latest case.

According to Sunnyvale Police, after Yao’s public arrest on July 8, a woman in her 50s reported to police that she befriended Yao in August 2020 after he offered to treat her for an unspecified health problem, and ultimately made several unwanted sexual advances towards her.

The woman was initially reluctant to report Yao because of her stature as a doctor, but changed her mind out of concern for other women who may have undergone similar treatment from Yao, police said.

This account largely corresponds to the first person to report Yao to the police, a woman who said she met the doctor at an emergency care clinic in Sutter Health where he worked and that they eventually became friends. But the friendship was also marked by unwanted advances, including one in which she claimed that Yao “forced himself” on her, “straddling her and forcibly kissing her on the lips.”

The first reported victim also said she refrained from alerting the police about Yao due to her medical status, but came forward to protect other women.

Sunnyvale investigators continue to explore the possibility of other victims and ask anyone with information about Yao’s misconduct to contact Detective Mary Cayori at 408-730-7122.

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