Woman shares sexual abuse story on YouTube alleging Tampa Bay Rays physician assaulted her

A woman has come out to share her story of sexual assault by a Tampa Bay Rays physician. She alleged that Michael Reilly had sexually molested her while she worked part-time in his office as a high school student.

The video uploaded on YouTube by Brianna Rah, a pseudonym, has been titled, The Importance of Sharing My Story of Sexual Abuse, which details the alleged abuse she suffered in her teenage years. In the video, the woman says that since she already knew the baseball team's physician from her church and had babysat for his children, she simply agreed when he offered her a job.

But little did she know that the job offer would turn into a nightmare for her. Rah, in the ten-minute-long video alleges that Reilly "put his hand on my hand" and "put his hand on my shoulder and lightly rub my back".

She alleges that later he also began to touch her in examination rooms, which eventually forced her to quit the job, the Tampa Bay Times reported.

However, some eight months after quitting the job, Rah returned to work, wondering if she might have been "dramatic". But again she was proved wrong as Reilly's behaviour towards her had worsened, she claims.

"There were times in the office when he would ask for me during hours to come into his office and he would shut the door and try and kiss me," she alleges in the video, adding she knew "he's done this to other people".

The 26-year-old woman said she decided to speak about the assault now because she doesn't want anyone to suffer like her. "I've debated making a video for years. I finally thought if I have to put my face out there, if it's going to save another person from being sexually abused from this person, then so be it," she says.

After the video uploaded on YouTube on 17 January came to light, Reilly was initially suspended from the Tampa Bay Rays hospital, but has now been fired. Local media reports stated that he has also resigned from a post at St Petersburg Catholic High School.

The physician had been working with the Rays for almost 20 years and also served as a team doctor for the Tampa Bay Lightning – ice hockey team – from 1992-2002.

Speaking about the allegations, Team Vice President John Higgins said in a statement: "We have very recently become aware of a video accusing Dr Reilly of sexually abusing a former employee of his medical practice. We have ended our contractual relationship with him, and we have also alerted the St Petersburg Police Department and Major League Baseball of this situation."

Reilly has refuted the allegations. In a statement forwarded by attorney Cathleen Bell Bremmer, he said: "I recently watched the YouTube video. While I am deeply troubled by the allegations made, I am sympathetic to the pain she has expressed.

"I deny her allegations of sexual abuse. We did, however, have a consensual relationship when she was an adult, which I regret. I've dedicated my life to medicine and making our community a better place to live, so having my reputation tarnished in this manner is disturbing."