Scott Strolla, a podiatrist from Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, was arrested on December 14 on video voyeurism and sexual battery charges. Strolla allegedly drugged and raped a woman he met a local restaurant and took pictures of her while she was unconscious.
He pleaded not guilty to all the charges during a court appearance yesterday and was ordered held in lieu of a $100,000 bond. The judge also ruled that Strolla can still practice as a podiatrist, but asked him to surrender his passport. News sources did not name an attorney for Strolla.
According to the arrest report, Palm Beach Gardens police have been investigating Strolla since the alleged incident in April. The accuser reportedly called police from outside Strolla’s home and claimed she had been drugged and raped and was “very scared.”
The woman told detectives that Stroller bought her a drink at a bar called Sketch, which made her feel sick a short time later and caused her to vomit in the restroom. She later remembers walking into Strolla’s house and Strolla having sex with her. She also said she heard the shutter sounds of a camera.
She later woke up disoriented and couldn’t understand what she was doing in his house. She quickly left and told him she had called an Uber, but she hid in some bushes down the street and called the police.
Strolla told investigators a different version of events. He purportedly said he met the woman at a local restaurant when she came with another friend to socialize with his group of friends. The woman allegedly flirted with Strolla and he invited her to Sketch for a drink.
At Sketch, the woman became very sick and he helped her to the bathroom. He said he took her home because she appeared too inebriated to drive. They went into his bedroom where he admits he kissed her, but he said he didn’t have sex or take pictures of her.
The arrest report states that DNA evidence taken from the woman’s genital area didn’t exclude Strolla as a contributor. Detectives also reportedly found pictures of the woman lying unconscious on Strolla’s bed.
According to the Florida Department of Health, Strolla is a podiatrist with 21 years experience. He is affiliated with Palm Beach Gardens Medical Center, Jupiter Medical Center, St. Mary’s Medical Center, and Good Samaritan Medical Center, but he usually works at an office on North Flagler Drive