November 23, 2024 – Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that DARIUS A. PADUCH, a former urologist at two prominent medical institutions in the New York-area, was sentenced on Wednesday to life in prison by Judge Ronnie Abrams for his yearslong sexual abuse of patients, some of whom were minors.  On May 8, 2024, PADUCH was convicted, following a two-week trial, of six counts of inducing a person to travel to engage in unlawful sexual activity and five counts of inducing a minor to engage in unlawful sexual activity. 

U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: "Darius Paduch was a sexual predator who preyed on patients seeking treatment for sensitive medical issues. He used his position as a renowned urologist at prestigious hospitals to sexually assault vulnerable patients, including children, to gratify his own sexual desires.  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.’  Today’s sentence demonstrates that medical providers who exploit their position of trust to commit sexual abuse will be held accountable for their conduct." 

According to the Superseding Indictment and evidence at trial:

From at least in or about 2007 through at least in or about 2019, PADUCH, while working as a urologist, enticed and induced multiple victims to travel to his medical offices at a prominent hospital in Manhattan ("Medical Institution-1"), so PADUCH could, among other things, sexually abuse the victims.  PADUCH also induced certain victims to travel to New Jersey where he abused and assaulted the victims under the guise of medical care.  In or about 2019, PADUCH began practicing at a different hospital located in Long Island, New York ("Medical Institution-2"), where he continued to sexually abuse patients.  During medical appointments, PADUCH would: masturbate his patients, sometimes without wearing gloves, and sometimes to the point of the patients ejaculating on him; direct his patients to masturbate while he watched; insert his finger inside the rectums of patients, including while masturbating them; and press his own erect penis against patients’ bodies.  PADUCH invited at least one victim to his boat, where PADUCH provided the patient with sedatives and masturbated the patient; PADUCH also exposed his own genitals to this patient.  PADUCH used his position 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.  PADUCH often directed the victims to schedule follow-up visits, and he instructed victims to return to see him again.  PADUCH also invited at least two patients, who were minors, to serve as high school interns.  As a result of PADUCH’s actions, some victims attended many appointments with PADUCH over the course of multiple years, at which PADUCH repeatedly abused them. At trial, 11 victims testified about being sexually abused by PADUCH, and dozens more provided impact statements with the Court in connection with sentencing.

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In addition to the prison term, PADUCH, 57, of North Bergen, New Jersey, was ordered to pay restitution in an amount to be determined at a later date. 

Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

The prosecution is being handled by the Office’s Violent and Organized Crime Unit.  Assistant U.S. Attorneys Marguerite B. Colson, Elizabeth A. Espinosa, Ni Qian, and Jun Xiang are in charge of the prosecution. 

Attachment: U.S._v._Paduch_Indictment.pdf [PDF, 134 KB]

PADUCH, 56, of North Bergen, New Jersey, was charged as follows:

Source: DOJ Release