'Sadistic' and 'disgusting' doctor sexually abused dozens of patients in New York hospital for years: Lawsuit

 A lawsuit has been filed against NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical, claiming that the hospital system had covered up several years of abuse by a disgraced urologist.

Dr. Darius Paduch, 55, who was a practicing urologist at NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell, was first arrested back in April after he was accused of sexually assaulting patients, including minors. The incidents were reported to have started in 2015, per Fox News. 

Since that time, a number of victims have come forward with accusations that Paduch had sexually assaulted them. The most recent lawsuit, filed on Thursday, was on behalf of 58 male victims who allege that the abuse went on from 2003 to 2022.

Attorney Anthony T. DiPietro, who filed the new lawsuit on behalf of the victims in New York Supreme Court, said that "I've been at this for the past 11 years. Every time the story has run, people call. That's just how it's been for over a decade. I know there are thousands of patients out there that just don't know that what he was doing was sexual exploitation and abuse." 

"For nearly two decades, [Paduch] pretended to practice medicine in the field of Urology, while instead engaging in a career of racketeering, sexual exploitation, sexual abuse, and sex-trafficking of both minors and adults," the lawsuit stated. 

"During this time, [Paduch] acted as a disgusting, sadistic, and perverted sexual predator who used his esteemed and trusted position with [defendants] to sexually groom, exploit, abuse, rape, molest, fondle, sodomize, and commit various acts of physical, verbal, and sexual assault and battery on thousands of patients, including the plaintiffs herein, all under the pretense of providing legitimate, medically necessary, medical care," the lawsuit continued.

However, Paduch allegedly overprescribed opioids to his patients, which would get them hooked so that they would be more dependent on him over a longer period of time.

The New York Post previously reported that Paduch would attempt to inflict pain on his patients by carrying out procedures without the use of anesthesia. He has also been accused of fondling young boys and using sex toys on his patients.

Despite what was apparently going on, Fox News reported that Weill Cornell's ethics board received direct complaints from victims and attempted to "buy the victims' silence," per the lawsuit.

The lawsuit went on to mention that the defendants and their trustees "knew, early on, exactly what [Paduch] was doing to their parents" but did not take any direct action to stop the behavior.

Weill Cornell Medical Center reportedly responded to Fox News in a statement, saying that it "values the care and safety of our patients above all else."

"The conduct described in these suits is extremely disturbing, and we feel deeply for all those involved," the statement said. "No patient who entrusts us with their care should ever experience such appalling behavior. We continue to cooperate fully with law enforcement and are committed to maintaining the highest professional and ethical standards."

It is not clear if Paduch has an attorney representing him in the lawsuit.