A well-known pediatrician and bestselling author was accused on Monday of molesting an 8-year-old patient in the 1980s, according to a civil lawsuit filed in Suffolk Superior Court.

The lawsuit alleges that Dr. Melvin D. Levine, who was chief of pediatrics at Children’s Hospital in the 1970s and currently teaches in North Carolina, “sexually assaulted, battered and abused” the plaintiff, identified in court papers as John Doe No. 5, during psychotherapy sessions at the hospital from 1980 and 1985, starting when the boy was 8.

"Levine, during his treatment sessions, under the guise of performing repeated but unnecessary physical examinations, sexually assaulted John No. 5, including numerous acts of genital fondling, masturbation, and other attempted and threatened acts of assault," the lawsuit says, according to the Boston Globe.

The man behind these accusations, now 36 and living in the South, says memories of the abuse were triggered when he brought his own child to a doctor’s appointment recently. He was overwhelmed at the thought that his child was going to be alone with a doctor.

The lawsuit also names Children’s Hospital.

The complaint is the fourth lawsuit filed against Dr. Levine by Boston attorney Carmen Durso who represents the alleged victims.

“These kids had serious issues and they sought treatment. In the course of treatment, he was sexually abusing them. Certainly, all (the victims) have had ups and downs in life; they were all affected in different ways. The person who is accused is a high-profile person who has done some good things. These people are independently saying essentially the same thing. That brings credibility to the situation,” Durso said.

Levine’s lawyer, Edward Mahoney of Boston defends his client saying he is innocent.

"Dr. Mel Levine has provided pediatric care to more than 15,000 children over 40 years and categorically denies that he has ever been abusive in any way toward any patient. He adamantly denies these claims. Dr. Levine is distressed about the distorted or misinterpreted memories from decades past and questions the motivations,” Mahoney said.

Children’s Hospital also released a statement saying it had never “had any complaint from any patient or parent of any patient suggesting inappropriate conduct of any nature by Dr. Levine.” Furthermore, the statement claims Children’s Hospital is working against these kinds of behaviors, which, if identified, are “treated with the utmost seriousness and addressed immediately.”

Dr. Levine, now 68, is the author of at least six books, including “A Mind At A Time,” a New York Bestseller, for which, he appeared on “The Oprah Winfrey Show.” He also helped found All Kinds of Minds, a nonprofit institute that studies learning.

A message left at his home in Rougement, N.C., where he moved after leaving Children’s Hospital, remained without answer.