OREM, Utah — An Orem pediatric dentist is facing charges over a relationship he had with a high school student who had interned for him.
According to police, Robert Bruce Howell, 69, asked the teen intern for pictures of herself in text messages and at one point gave her an exam that was outside his professional license.
An investigation into Howell began in November, although the alleged incidents occurred during the 2023-24 school year, when the victim was still underage.
On November 10, detectives interviewed the victim, who said that while she was a senior at Mountain View High School, she had the opportunity to work as an intern at Orem Pediatric Dentistry.
Shortly after her internship began, the victim said she and Howell began exchanging text messages. Detectives noted that the messages quickly became personal, with Howell using religion as the basis for the conversation. According to police, the messages fell outside of the scope of professional and student contact.
Over the next several months, thousands of texts were exchanged between the victim and Howell. During those conversations, police say the victim indicated that she was a high school athlete and Howell agreed to purchase hundreds of dollars' worth of equipment.
Before the start of the athletic season, the victim was required to complete a Utah High School Activities Association medical pre-participation form. The victim allegedly discussed this with Howell, who agreed to assist with the process.
On March 13, 2024, the exam was allegedly performed by Howell and included a breast and vaginal exam. The victim stated that Howell, during that portion of the exam, ungloved his hand and touched her.
The UHSAA does not require breast or vaginal exams for the form, and the exam also fell outside the scope of Howell's professional license.
After speaking with the victim, police reviewed messages between the two, which revealed that Howell would request photos of the victim in clothes he had bought for her.
When the victim complied, Howell replied that she was wearing too many clothes in the photos. Investigators note that these messages happened two days before the alleged exam.
