Lewd Act Could Cost Employee

The UNC School of Medicine resident has 30 days to respond to charges against him for indecent exposure.

A poolside sex offense could leave a resident at UNC Hospitals without his medical license.

Stephen Michael Dingman, a UNC resident in nuclear medicine and a 1999 graduate of UNC School of Medicine, is now facing formal charges from the N.C. Medical Board after he was arrested Aug. 3 for indecent exposure.

Two undercover Raleigh police officers arrested Dingman, 37, of 20 Striding Ridge Court in Durham, at an apartment complex pool in Raleigh after the officers witnessed him remove his thong bathing suit and masturbate, reports state.

According to a police report, the undercover officers were tipped off by a report of a similar incident that allegedly occurred at the same pool July 21.

An employee called the police to report the first incident, but Dingman already had left when they arrived. Before he left, Dingman reportedly gave a business card to the employee advertising erotic dancing under the name "Michael's Entertainment."

A female officer used an e-mail address on the card to contact Dingman. Sgt. A. H. O'Connell of the Raleigh Police Department said the officer did not solicit Dingman's services.

"I can tell you she did not ask him to come back to that pool," he said.

O'Connell said Dingman replied to the officer's e-mail and told her when he would be back at the pool.

The two undercover officers returned to the pool Aug. 3, and Dingman approached them without being asked, removed his thong bathing suit and masturbated.

O'Connell said Dingman was at the Raleigh apartment complex because he used to live there.

Dingman is being suspended with pay from UNC Hospitals, where he has worked since July 1, 2000, said Tom Hughes, a spokesman for UNC Hospitals.

He has 30 days to respond to the charges from the N.C. Board of Medicine by either surrendering his license or consenting to a hearing.

Dingman's lawyer, David Long of the Raleigh law firm of Poyner and Spruill, said he and his client have not yet discussed Dingman's motives or course of action.

"There are all kinds of possible resolutions," Long said. "What we're doing now is trying to gather as much information as we can. Once we do, we'll do everything we can to bring this to a prompt and fair resolution."

Depending on the outcome, Dingman's medical license could be reinstated, suspended, revoked or annulled.

Whatever the decision, the incident will remain on his professional record, said Shannon Kingston, a representative of the N.C. Medical Board public affairs department.

Kingston said Dingman has no prior record of discipline with the board.

Dingman graduated from the University of Iowa in 1987 with a degree in finance and from N.C. State University with a degree in chemistry in 1993.

Dr. Joseph Lee, of the department of nuclear medicine at UNC Hospitals and Dingman's supervisor, declined to comment.

Dingman could not be reached for comment.

The University Editor can be reached at udesk@unc.edu.