North Bergen Urologist Found Guilty Of Sexually Abusing Male Patients

NORTH BERGEN, NJ — A urologist who worked at one of Manhattan's top hospitals — and lives in North Bergen — was found guilty Wednesday for sexually abusing seven male patients, including four underage minors.

The doctor is Darius A. Paduch, 55, who worked at New York-Presbyterian Weill Cornell Medical Center.

Dr. Paduch was arrested in April 2023, but found guilty at trial in Manhattan Wednesday. A jury unanimously found him guilty on 11 federal sex abuse charges.

Federal prosecutors first announced the charges and indictment against Dr. Paduch here. Their case started with two victims, both under 18 when the sex abuse started. But as the case grew, ultimately more than 200 men came forward to allege Dr. Paduch molested them while under his care, in abuse that started either before or after the young men turned 18, ABC News reported.

"Paduch used his position as a urologist at prominent medical institutions in New York to make the victims believe the sexual abuse was medically necessary and appropriate," said U.S. Attorneys. "During appointments, Paduch claimed he needed to touch victims in certain ways to provide medical treatment."

Damian Williams, the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, said teen boys and young men came to see Dr. Paduch for urological issues.

Prosecutors say Dr. Paduch sexually abused the boys and men from 2008 to April 2019, while he was employed by New York-Presbyterian Weill Cornell Medical Center. He also offered his teen victims high school internships at New York-Presbyterian.

In 2019 Paduch left New York-Presbyterian and was hired at Northwell Health on Long Island, where he worked from August 2019 until present.

New York U.S. Attorney Anthony DiPietro said this week New York-Presbyterian allowed Dr. Paduch to resign after patients complained about him. But the hospital never reported him to police, allowing Paduch to be hired at Northwell.

"He ended up at Northwell as a result of Weill Cornell not doing their job and reporting him to the authorities like they should have," DiPietro said.

Federal prosecutors say he directed the boys to continue to see him at Northwell, and the sex abuse continued there. The abuse went on "for years," said prosecutors.

Parents would bring teen boys to their appointments

The specific ages of the first two victims was not given, but prosecutors said both boys were under 18 when the alleged abuse started. Their parents would bring them to appointments.

Dr. Paduch would, among things, play pornography while he directed — and watched — the teen boys masturbate in his exam room, according to the indictment.

Federal prosecutors say Paduch instructed his victims to see him over and over again for follow-ups, usually telling them to see him after regular office hours.

He would also text the boys from his personal cell phone after appointments, sending them sexual comments and jokes, said federal prosecutors.

It was former patients, hospital staff and nurses who began reporting Dr. Paduch's alleged abuse, said lawyers for the victims.

"If you have been victimized by Darius Paduch in any way or have any additional information about his alleged illegal behavior, please call us at 1-800-CALL-FBI, or reach out to us at tips.fbi.gov," said FBI Assistant Director in Charge Michael Driscoll.

Here is the initial indictment against him. Warning: The indictment contains graphic sexual details.