ST. LOUIS (KMOX) - A lawsuit filed in St. Louis County alleges a pediatrician sexually assaulted numerous women and children and preyed on them for nearly a decade.
"We have just over 30 survivors," said attorney Kayla Onder. "He's been practicing for a very long time. We know that others are out there."
The lawsuit alleges former pediatrician Craig Spiegel sexually abused children and adult women while practicing medicine at SSM Health DePaul Hospital.
According to attorney Ben Crump, who is one of the attorneys representing the victims alongside Onder, Spiegel often preyed on women of color, which was a factor when they reported their abuse.
"You had people go and try to report Spiegel and they were not taken seriously," said Crump. "It begs the questions that if these were white woman making these reports, would they have been taken more seriously?"
One of the victims, Mallory, shares what the abuse she suffered took from her.
"He changed the way I looked at health care and at doctors," said Mallory. "It was a fine line between what was allowable and what was too much."
Onder says more than half were sexually abused as children.
"There was grooming going on," said Onder. "He had saw them since they were young children. Often times, when you see a pediatrician, once you are no longer a child, you go on to another doctor. Like Crump said, he continued to see patients, saying 'I can treat you for everything'".
SSM Health is named in the suit but distanced themselves from Spiegel, saying he was never employed and rather leased his office space in a building adjacent from SSM DePaul through a third party.
Onder says they anticipate there being more victims out there and encourages them to come forward.
Spiegel is also facing criminal charges for allegedly trading pills in exchange for sex acts.
