LONGVIEW, Texas — The trial of a former Longview doctor accused of sexually assaulting boys during counseling sessions has been delayed to February 2025.
Matt Elza Hipke, 62, is charged with three counts of continuous sexual abuse of a child younger than 14, aggravated sexual assault of a child and indecency with child sexual contact.
Prior to a hearing on Monday, the defense filed a motion seeking to continue the case on Friday. The Monday hearing was held in closed chambers.
The trial, which was originally set for Oct. 14 this year, has now been set for Feb. 17, 2025, according to judicial records.
Police say he touched child patients inappropriately on multiple occasions between 2018 and 2020. The Texas Medical Board states his license to practice was suspended due to accusations of inappropriately touching three patients younger than 17 during examinations at his office.
Hipke and his practice, Adolescent Care Team, which has since closed, faced five civil lawsuits on behalf of nearly a dozen children, according to reporting from the Longview News-Journal.
The News-Journal reported that one of the five lawsuits was settled in March. Five children from four families were named as plaintiffs in that lawsuit. Each of the plaintiffs received a confidential settlement.