A local doctor was arrested Monday for allegedly forcing himself on one of his female patients.

The victim, a 27-year-old woman, went to Dr. Raymond P. Russomanno, 64, in May with lower back pain. According to Essex County prosecutors, something about her doctor visits made her uncomfortable, and in mid-July, after her third visit, she went to the police.

Dr. Russomanno was arrested after an investigation by the Bloomfield Police and Essex County prosecutors office. He was charged with one count of sexual assault and 12 counts of criminal sexual contact, all on the same patient.

By Tuesday, Dr. Russomanno had posted $2,000 cash bail and was back in the office seeing patients.

Despite his being charged, some of Dr. Russomanno?s patients find it difficult to accept the charges against their doctor. One patient said that he had been seeing Dr. Russomanno since he was a child and finds the allegations against his doctor hard to believe. The patient said that he doesn?t know why anyone would accuse Dr. Russomanno of that.

Dr. Russomanno has been licensed to practice in New Jersey since 1974.