Former doctor is sentenced to life in prison after conviction for sexually abusing patients

NEW YORK (AP) — A former doctor was sentenced Wednesday to life in prison after being convicted of sexually abusing multiple patients, including children, over the span of years in the New York area.

Darius A. Paduch, a former urologist, was found guilty in May following a trial where 11 victims testified about being abused by Paduch and dozens more submitted statements to the court, federal prosecutors said.

Paduch, 57, has maintained his innocence and has said some of his methods of touching patients were medically necessary.

Prosecutors said Paduch sexually abused patients at a prominent hospital in Manhattan from at least 2007 to 2019 and then continued to abuse patients after he began practicing at a different hospital on Long Island. He invited at least one victim to his boat, where prosecutors said Paduch provided the victim with sedatives and sexually assaulted him.

“He used his position as a renowned urologist at prestigious hospitals to sexually assault vulnerable patients, including children, to gratify his own sexual desires,” U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said in a statement. “Paduch’s abuse was perverse and pervasive, spanning over a decade and victimizing patients both inside and outside of hospital rooms.”

Paduch’s attorney, Michael Baldassare, said in a statement that he would file an appeal in the coming days.

“Doctor Paduch maintains his innocence and we are confident that someday he will be vindicated,” Baldassare said.