Carolina Beach cardiologist faces more child sex crimes charges

KURE BEACH, NC (WWAY) — A Carolina Beach cardiologist arrested on Friday now faces several more charges in a child sex crimes investigation.

Damian Brezinski, 61, faces nine new charges, which include rape of a child, soliciting child by a computer, indecent liberties with a child, and sexual offense with a child.

Brezinski made an appearance in court Thursday for those new charges.

He faces the possibility of life without parole on 4 of those charges.

When Kure Beach Police first arrested him on Friday afternoon at Island Cardiology, he was charged with indecent liberties with a child and first degree statutory sex offense.

Investigators searched his home in Kure Beach and his medical practice.

In 2019, Dr. Brezinski and his former medical practice paid more than $240,000 to settle civil claims for improper payments made under the Medicare and Tricare programs. From 2010 to 2014, Brezinski inserted arterial stents for patients whose medical records did not demonstrate a need for those procedures. Those procedures were then billed to Medicare and Tricare.

A judge increased Brezinski’s bond from $1.5 million to $5 million, due to the severity of the new charges.

A bond hearing for all of Brezinski’s charges is scheduled for Monday.