Twisted Denver cardiologist who drugged and raped dozens of women learns his fate in court: 'Society is a darker place because of you'

A serial rapist who wept successful tribunal arsenic he was convicted complete a drawstring of attacks against women he met connected making love sites has been sentenced to 158 years successful prison.

Cardiologist Stephen Matthews drugged and raped women aft luring them to his Denver home successful a four-year reign of panic betwixt 2019 and nan commencement of past year.

Eleven came guardant to attest against him but prosecutors fearfulness location were dozens much arsenic 1 branded him 'one of nan astir prolific serial rapists successful nan history of nan authorities of Colorado'.

The mother of nan rapist expert pleaded for leniency, telling him 'I emotion you always, and nary matter what', but victims welcomed nan sentence, branding him a 'narcissistic monster'.

'We are now a powerful service of survivors, and you are nothing,' 1 said.

Matthews, 37, trawled done online making love apps including Hinge and Tinder and 'strategically' tried to put dates adjacent his location successful nan city's Lower Highland neighborhood.

Prosecutors said location was a singular similarity betwixt nan accounts fixed by his victims.

Allie, who did not want her past sanction to beryllium used, said she was 'excited to spell connected a first day and get to cognize him', aft seeing his floor plan connected Hinge complete pinch pictures of his canine and his outdoor adventures.

The brace met astatine a barroom for a portion successful January past twelvemonth and he suggested stepping to his townhouse to fto his canine out.

Allie said that erstwhile there, she went to nan bathroom. When she came out, Matthews had made her portion without asking if she wanted one.

'I didn't want to beryllium rude and didn't want to offend him truthful I took nan drink,' she told CBS News' Brian Maass.

Allie said she had only drank astir a 4th of nan solid erstwhile she started emotion sick and her reside became slurred.

'I retrieve astatine 1 constituent falling each nan measurement to nan crushed and looking up astatine him arsenic he was astir to movie me,' she said.

At this point, Matthews placed her successful a headlock and pulled her caput backmost to forcibly buss her. She said nan position was 'painful' and she could not break free.

'I felt for illustration I had to get out,' Allie said.

She escaped, shoeless, vomiting and hardly conscious into an Uber but wrong days different unfortunate was not truthful lucky.

Audrey met him for brunch earlier he invited her backmost to his location wherever they played Jenga and took a dip successful his basking tub.

Her past representation is of sipping a portion he made her, earlier coming to, hours later, backmost successful her ain location pinch hickeys, bruises, and nary recollection of what had happened.

She went to nan constabulary and arsenic they began to analyse they recovered much women pinch precisely nan aforesaid memory; a date, a crippled of Jenga, a drink, a basking tub - and thing else.

One said that 10 hours aft gathering Matthews were a complete blank and 'she had nary thought really she sewage home.

Attorney Stephen J Burg said nan pervert cardiologist would spell retired of his measurement to gull his victim's suspicions.

'He would build spot and past get them to person a drink, usually adjacent to his home, and supplier them successful that drink' he explained.

'They would beryllium very, very impaired and not cognize what was going on. And he would sexually battle them.'

'He was very savvy and capable to build trust. He'd opportunity 'Let's meet successful a nationalist place', and talk astir his canine and past oftentimes usage that arsenic an excuse to caput backmost to his location aliases apartment.'

One unfortunate recalled vomiting and curling up successful a fetal position aft a azygous portion astatine Matthews' location earlier waking up astatine her location pinch Matthews successful nan room.

When she refused a 2nd day he sent her nude photographs he had taken of her unconscious.

A 4th told investigators that she remembered only waking up successful Matthews' location naked and vomiting while handcuffed to his sofa.

'This was methodical,' 1 unfortunate told KDVR.

'This wasn't astir consent. This wasn't astir sex. It was astir control. He utilized his position and nan title of erstwhile expert to maltreatment spot pinch myself and others.'

Allie discovered that location was already a Facebook group wherever Matthews' victims were starting to portion together what had happened to them and constabulary arrested him successful March past year.

By October, much than a twelve victims had travel forward, and nan medic was charged pinch 38 counts against 11 women, 9 of whom he raped.

'When nan suspect insists, 'No, conscionable enactment for 5 much minutes,' that stands retired to her because nan suspect knows really quickly this is going to act,' charismatic Bree Beasley told nan jury.

'And he knows if she conscionable waits 5 much minutes, he's sewage her. And he did.

'Because nan adjacent point that she remembers is waking up wholly naked connected nan floor, screaming, 'What did you do?' She's terrified.'

Matthews cried successful nan dock arsenic he was convicted connected 35 counts successful August, and returned to tribunal connected Friday to study his fate.

'You person diminished this world,' District Court Judge Eric Johnson told him arsenic she passed sentence.

'You person dimmed galore of its lights. You've wounded our society, and it's a darker spot because of you. You brought ugliness upon yourself.'

Audrey said that Matthews 'gave each of america a life sentence, conscionable not down bars'.

'One of nan hardest things astir intersexual battle and rape is that your assemblage is nan crime scene, and you transportation that pinch you forever.'

Allie said she has 'no doubt' that location are much victims retired location who person yet to beryllium identified because Matthews was a regular connected nan making love apps.

'I judge nan survivors who came guardant are conscionable nan extremity of nan iceberg,' she added.

'It was a immense alleviation to person nan assemblage opportunity they believed maine and nan different women.

'Every azygous time there's astatine slightest a infinitesimal of my time that revolves astir this personification who wounded me.'

Denver DA Beth McCann thanked nan rapist's survivors for bringing him to justice.

'Stephen Matthews took advantage of astir a twelve women successful nan astir egregious measurement imaginable, and for that, he will now salary a important price,' she said.

'I dream today's verdict provides a measurement of comfortableness to each nan victims, whose courageousness passim this lawsuit should beryllium an inspiration to america all.'