A New York-area urologist was sentenced on Wednesday to life in prison for sexually abusing patients, including minors, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.
Darius Paduch, a 55-year-old former urologist from North Bergen, New Jersey, was arrested in April 2023 on a four-count indictment charging him with sexually abusing two former patients who, at the time, were minors.
Additional charges were added and Paduch was convicted in May of this year, when a Manhattan jury found him guilty of all 11 counts pertaining to eight patients, six of whom were minors when the period of abuse began.
Paduch worked as a urologist with a specialization in male reproductive health at two New York City medical institutions—one in Manhattan and one in Long Island—from 2003 through 2023.
“Paduch used his position as a urologist at prominent medical institutions in New York to make or attempt to make the victims believe that the sexual abuse he inflicted on them was medically necessary and appropriate, when, in fact, it was not,” prosecutors said.
The abuse Paduch was convicted for began when he was employed in Manhattan, and lasted from at least 2007 through 2019, according to the news release.
During this time, he often directed the victims to schedule follow-up visits repeatedly, leading to years of abusive so-called treatment. Paduch also persuaded his victims to travel to New Jersey where he abused them under the guise of medical care.
In 2019, Paduch moved his practice to a Long Island hospital, where he continued the abuse.
According to prosecutors, Paduch sent some of his victims, including minors, text messages from his personal phone.
“In those messages, he made inappropriate and sexual comments and jokes, and he directed the victims to schedule follow-up appointments or to visit his office after regular business hours,” prosecutors said.
In at least one instance, prosecutors said, Paduch invited a patient onto his boat, where he provided his victim with sedatives before sexual abuse.
“Darius Paduch was a sexual predator who preyed on patients seeking treatment for sensitive medical issues,” 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. He repeatedly violated his oath to ‘Do No Harm.’”
Each of the 11 charges had either a maximum of 20 years in prison, life in prison, or a mandatory minimum of 10 years in prison.
“Today’s sentence demonstrates that medical providers who exploit their position of trust to commit sexual abuse will be held accountable for their conduct,” Williams said.
Reportedly, 300 additional patients have filed complaints against the convicted urologist.