Gynecologist Hid Camera Inside Pen: Dr. Nikita Levy Secretly Filmed Patients, Johns Hopkins Faces Lawsuit [PHOTO]

Nikita Levy, a Johns Hopkins gynecologist, committed suicide while being under investigation for secretly filming patients with a pen during their exams.

Now, more than 1,000 victims are looking for answers, and two former patients have filed lawsuits against Johns Hopkins, charging negligence, invasion of privacy and internal infliction of emotional distress.

The recording activities, which occurred over a five-year period, came to light after a female colleague became suspicious about a pen Levy wore around his neck and questioned him about it, the Baltimore Sun reported.

The colleague reported her suspicions to hospital officials on Feb.4, and that led to Levy being investigated. He later admitted to having several secret recording devices, including a pen camera.

Security staff was given the devices on Feb. 5, and Levy was escorted from the premises, according to a letter written by dean of medicine, Paul B. Rothman. Levy was also barred from contacting patients.

"We are terribly sorry this has happened and for how the patients of Dr. Levy must be feeling," Rothman said in the letter. "The last few days have been difficult and trying ones for all of us."

Police found Levy, 54, dead of apparent suicide on Feb. 18 at his Towson home.

Johns Hopkins hasn't yet publicly commented on the case.

Andrew Slutkin's law firm has written letters to Hopkins leaders and the city, demanding that more information be released. Slutkin said about one-third of those who've contacted his office said Levy didn't have a staff member present as required during gynecological exams.

"Some patients even stopped seeing him because of that. That's the kind of thing we think allowed this practice to go on for so long,” he said.

CBS Baltimore said police are calling patients to notify them of the incident and are investigating what Levy did with the footage.

Baltimore City Police spokesman Anthony Guglielmi said we're “looking to see if Dr. Levy perhaps sold this material online and if he partnered with anyone else during the commission of this crime.

"I can’t even begin to imagine the unimaginable breach of trust that this incident has created for families and patients.”