A dentist in Utah was arrested on June 24 for allegedly sending a high school senior improper texts and inappropriately touching her during a physical exam he wasn’t licensed to perform, according to a story published on June 24 on KSL.
Dr. Robert Bruce Howell, 69, of Orem Pediatric Dentistry in Orem, UT, was booked into the county jail and is being investigated for object rape and forcible sexual abuse.
In an affidavit, the police stated, “Dr. Howell should be considered a danger to society due to his position as a pediatric dentist. He has access to multiple individuals in a vulnerable state and detectives are concerned there are additional victims from statements from the victim knowing other female employees have left under concerning means,” according to the story.
Dr. Robert Bruce Howell.Orem Pediatric Dentistry.
In November 2025, authorities began investigating Howell after a woman, who was a high school senior during the 2023-2024 school year, contacted police, claiming that she and Howell began exchanging text messages shortly after the woman became an intern at his practice. The messages reportedly became personal quickly, and his alleged victim claimed that Howell used religion to manipulate her, according to the story.
In addition to exchanging thousands of texts in which personal and religious matters were discussed, Howell and the woman reportedly had phone calls in which they read scriptures together.
During her internship, Howell bought hundreds of dollars’ worth of athletic equipment for the girl, who was a high school athlete, police said. Before she started her school sports season, the girl needed to have a medical exam. Howell allegedly told her he could perform it for her, according to the story.
In 2024, he performed the exam. She claimed that Howell inappropriately touched her during the exam.
During the investigation, police found that 3,622 text messages were exchanged between Howell and the girl. Only a small percentage of the messages were specific to work-related topics, and the rest were personal.
In some of the messages, Howell reportedly requested that the girl send him images of her in clothes that he purchased for her. Also, Howell allegedly replied that the high school student was wearing too many clothes in some of the images, according to the story.
When police questioned Howell, he purportedly admitted that his "exam" of the girl included an examination of her breasts and genitals. Furthermore, the pediatric dentist allegedly admitted that the exam he performed fell outside his professional license, according to the story.
A criminal complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
