SUFFOLK, Va. — A doctor who worked at a practice in Suffolk has been found guilty of attempted unlawful filming.
The doctor, Giovanni Geronilla, faced criminal charges in the Suffolk General District Court. At the same time, an administrative matter regarding the incident was also pending before the Virginia Board of Medicine.
Geronilla received a guilty verdict on April 10, 2023, of the misdemeanor charge of attempting to film a nude person without consent. He was sentenced to 90 days with 70 days suspended and a $1,500 fine.
According to the Suffolk General District Court Clerk, he can’t possess any device that takes images of people; He must report to Western Tidewater Regional Jail on April 17 at 6 p.m. He also has until April 17 to decide if he plans to appeal.
In a notice of informal conference document sent to Geronilla from the Virginia Board of Medicine, the board makes the following allegations in reference to the incident:
- At the time of the incident, Geronilla was “practicing as a primary and urgent care physician at a Suffolk, Virginia medical practice.”
- At work, Geronilla “created a videographic or still image of a nonconsenting licensed nurse practitioner by placing his [cell phone] camera lens in a position directly beneath or between [the nurse practitioner's] legs…”
- Afterwards, the nurse practitioner contacted the Suffolk police and reported the incident.
According to hearing information from the Suffolk General District Court, Geronilla lives in Norfolk. The hearing information also says the incident happened on June 7, 2022, he was terminated from the position on June 9, 2022, and his arrest was on June 30, 2022.
We have reached out to Geronilla’s attorney on the matter. We have not received a response yet.
The board’s notice of informal conference document says his conference is rescheduled for July 27, 2023.
A range of actions could be take place at the informal hearing, including exoneration, a dismissal of the case, being made to pay a monetary penalty, be placed on probation or refer him to a formal hearing.
