A jury convicted a veterinarian of touching and grabbing the buttocks of a female employee who worked under his supervision on separate occasions at a veterinary office in Cary.
Duane Kimmey, 65, of Cary, was charged in August 2023 with one count of battery, a Class A misdemeanor, and later charged in January with two additional counts.
Court documents alleged Kimmey made physical contact of an insulting or provoking nature when he touched and grabbed the buttocks on different occasions.
A jury trial began on Monday after the case had been ongoing for almost three years.
Prosecutors said at the trial that Kimmey intentionally struck and touched a female victim on the buttocks during two separate incidents in May and June 2023.
The woman had been employed at a veterinary practice where Kimmey, who is a veterinarian, was her supervisor, prosecutors said.
Kimmey worked as an associate veterinarian at The Animal Doctor in Cary from February 2022 to October 2025, according to his LinkedIn profile. He now works at Animal Hospital of Woodstock.
The victim testified in detail about both incidents during the trial.
She explained that she initially delayed reporting the incidents for approximately two months but ultimately came forward after the behavior escalated.
The woman first reported the conduct to the office manager, later to the owners of the veterinary practice and then to the Cary Police Department.
The jury also heard testimony that Kimmey admitted to his employers that he had touched the victim after the allegations were reported.
Kimmey testified at trial and acknowledged that he intentionally touched the victim on both occasions, admitted the conduct was inappropriate and conceded that the victim had never given him verbal consent to do so.
Attorneys for Kimmey argued that the woman welcomed or invited Kimmey’s conduct.
The jury returned guilty verdicts on Tuesday on two counts of battery, a Class A misdemeanor, following the two-day trial.
Court records show the female victim, who was employed as a surgical technician, filed a civil lawsuit in February 2025 against Kimmey and The Animal Doctor seeking an unspecified amount in damages for the incidents.
The lawsuit complaint said the female employee was cleaning off an X-ray table at The Animal Doctor’s office in May 2023 when Kimmey slapped her buttocks without consent.
The complaint said two weeks later, the woman was exiting the X-ray room when Kimmey, who was walking behind her, slapped her buttocks without consent.
The complaint also said that the victim was in an exam room when Kimmey walked up behind her, slid his hand up the inside of her thigh and touched her at or near the crotch without her consent.
“This verdict reinforces that every employee has the right to a workplace free from unwanted physical contact and harassment, regardless of their position or relationship to a supervisor,” McHenry County State’s Attorney Randi Freese said after the trial.
“More than anything, we commend the victim for finding the courage to come forward and testify about these deeply personal incidents. Today’s verdict demonstrates that a victim’s credibility is determined by the evidence—not by when they are able to report the abuse,” Freese said.
Kimmey is scheduled to appear for a sentencing hearing on September 23.