Gair, Gair, Conason, Rubinowitz, Bloom, Hershenhorn, Steigman & Mackauf is a New York Plaintiff's personal injury law firm specializing in automobile accidents, construction accidents, medical malpractice, products liability, police misconduct and all types of New York personal injury litigation.

Articles Posted in Sexual Abuse

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2048px-Abercrombie__Fitch_Model_30-scaledThe recent indictment of Michael Jeffries, the former CEO of Abercrombie & Fitch, on charges of running a sex-trafficking operation sends shockwaves through the legal and fashion communities alike. This case involves the exploitation of dozens of aspiring male models, many of whom were lured under the false pretense of career advancement. As sexual abuse attorneys, we understand the profound trauma that victims experience when those in positions of power use their influence for such predatory acts.
Jeffries and his co-conspirators, including his romantic partner and a recruiter, are accused of coercing young men into non-consensual sex acts, leveraging promises of modeling opportunities. Many victims were made to consume alcohol, drugs, and were confined in secretive, controlled environments. Such tactics are common in sex-trafficking schemes, where victims often feel trapped, ashamed, or fearful of retaliation.

For anyone who has endured this type of exploitation, it’s important to know that the law is on your side. The survivors in this case took a courageous step by coming forward, which has led to significant legal actions, including potential life sentences for the accused. However, the path to justice doesn’t end with the criminal prosecution of Jeffries and his associates. Abercrombie & Fitch itself has also been implicated in a class-action lawsuit, with accusations of ignoring or enabling the misconduct.

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John Adams High School where sexual abuse occuredAs New York City grapples with an alarming increase in sexual misconduct complaints within its public school system, the capacity to investigate these claims is severely hampered by budget constraints and staff shortages. The Special Commissioner of Investigation, tasked with overseeing complaints against Education Department employees and contractors, faces unprecedented challenges. This is where the expertise of specialized legal representation becomes indispensable.

A Surge in Complaints, a Decline in Investigations

The Special Commissioner of Investigation received over 10,260 complaints last year, a record high compared to the 9,630 complaints in 2019. Yet, despite this increase, the number of investigations has drastically decreased. In 2023, the agency conducted less than half the investigations it performed in 2015, despite nearly double the number of complaints. This sharp decline underscores the growing strain on the office’s ability to manage its caseload.

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John Adams High School where sexual abuse occuredAs attorneys dedicated to advocating for victims of school sexual abuse, we are deeply troubled by three recent events that have unfolded in schools across New York City, specifically in Queens and the Bronx. The following incidents demonstrate the urgent need for comprehensive measures to safeguard our children and hold perpetrators accountable within educational institutions:

  1. A 23-year-old Queens substitute teacher at Hillcrest High School on Highland Ave. near 162nd St. in Jamaica was arrested yesterday after he allegedly touched a 14-year-old student’s thigh and told her “If I were a student I would make you fall in love with me and have sex with me”. Jasskirat Saini was charged with harassment and child endangerment.
  2. Last Friday, another 23-year-old man working as a grammar school teacher’s aide at Bronx school P.S. 481 was also arrested after he gave a love letter to a 10-year-old student. Estevan Hamilton gave the letter to the student in the morning. The student showed it to her mom at lunchtime and the stepfather went to the school at the beginning of the afternoon to confront the school aid and punched him in the face. The police were called and the school aid was arrested and charged with endangering the welfare of a child and harassment.
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As attorneys specializing in doctor sexual abuse cases, the recent conviction of Dr. Darius A. Paduch resonates deeply with the ongoing struggle to protect patients and uphold the sacred trust they place in medical professionals. The case, adjudicated in Manhattan federal court, reveals the chilling abuse of power and the devastating impact of sexual abuse perpetrated under the guise of medical care.

Dr. Paduch, a urologist specializing in male reproductive health, was found guilty on all 11 counts related to the sexual abuse of seven patients, including four children. These abuses occurred over several years, from at least 2015 through 2019, while Dr. Paduch practiced in New York. His disturbing actions included claims that certain inappropriate and invasive touches were medically necessary, although it was clear they were intended for his own sexual gratification.

From a legal standpoint, this case is significant not only because of the guilty verdict but also because it involved charges of enticing or coercing individuals to travel interstate to engage in illicit activities, and using interstate facilities to induce or coerce minors into sexual acts. These are serious federal crimes that highlight the complexity of prosecuting sexual abuse cases involving professionals who exploit their positions of authority.

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Rikers_Island Aerial ViewAs adult sexual abuse attorneys deeply committed to seeking justice for survivors, we find ourselves compelled to address the disturbing revelations unearthed by a recent investigation into Rikers Island. The report, brought to light by Gothamist, exposes a distressing pattern of alleged misconduct and sexual assault within the walls of this troubled jail complex. The ramifications of these allegations are profound, prompting a vital dialogue among New York state lawmakers, city officials, and advocacy groups about the urgent need for legislative action and accountability.

The cornerstone of this discussion lies in the proposed reopening of a legal window that would afford sexual abuse survivors additional time to file claims. The Adult Survivors Act, which opened a one-year window for victims to seek civil recourse outside the statute of limitations, closed in November. However, with the emergence of these distressing allegations, lawmakers, including Assembly member Linda Rosenthal and Sen. Brad Hoylman-Sigal, are rightfully advocating for the reinstatement of this crucial provision. Such a measure would not only provide a lifeline for survivors who were unable to come forward within the previous timeframe but also signify a commitment to confronting systemic issues within our correctional system.

Councilmember Sandy Nurse’s call for oversight hearings represents a pivotal step towards accountability. By scrutinizing the systemic failures that have allowed sexual abuse to fester within Rikers Island, we can begin to unravel the layers of negligence and complicity that have perpetuated this cycle of harm. It is imperative that city officials, including Mayor Eric Adams and Department of Correction Commissioner Lynelle Maginley-Liddie, take decisive action to address these deeply entrenched issues and devise comprehensive strategies for reform.

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sexual abuser Zhi Alan ChengNew York-Presbyterian Queens Hospital  is grappling with a disturbing case of sexual abuse by one of its former doctors. Zhi Alan Cheng, a 33-year-old emerging gastroenterologist, has been charged with 50 new counts of heinous crimes, including rape, sexual abuse, assault, misdemeanor drug possession, and unlawful surveillance.

The allegations against him underscore the importance of legal advocacy for survivors of sexual abuse and the urgent need to address the systemic failures that enable such atrocities to occur.

Zhi Alan Cheng’s case reveals a chilling pattern of abuse, marked by methodical cruelty and an alarming disregard for human decency

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New York Presbyterian Queens covered up sexual abuse As doctor sexual abuse attorneys in the heart of New York City, we are committed to fighting for the rights of survivors and seeking justice against those people who have caused harm and those institutions, hospitals, schools and religious entities that facilitated the harm. Today, we bring to your attention a deeply disturbing case involving Dr. Zhi Alan Cheng, a physician at a major New York City hospital, who has been accused of perpetrating heinous sexual abuse against multiple victims in the hospital.

Dr. Cheng was arrested in December 2022 and has been charged with first-degree rape after allegedly drugging and raping women in the hospital and his own apartment. Incredibly, while Dr. Cheng awaits trial on Rikers Island, another victim has recently come forward accusing Dr. Cheng of sexual assault in 2021 at New York Presbyterian Hospital Queens where he was employed as a physician. The hospital faces accusations of covering up this abhorrent crime, failing to report it to the authorities, and neglecting to take appropriate disciplinary measures against Dr. Cheng.

Seeking Justice for Sexual Abuse Survivors

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Evelyn_Yang was sexually abused by HaddenA NYC  gynecologist has been sexually abusing patients for over two decades including Evelyn Yang, the wife of New York politician Andrew Yang, was convicted of sex trafficking yesterday.

64 year old Robert Hadden, a former Columbia University gynecologist was convicted of federal sex crimes yesterday after a two-week trial. The gynecologist who sexually abused patients while working at Columbia University Irving Medical Center and New York Presbyterian Hospital sexually abused patients from 1993 to 2012. He was previously convicted of sexual abuse after being accused by 19 patients but had been able to avoid jail time by signing a state-court plea agreement. The plea agreement infuriated hundreds of women who had been abused by the doctor.

Yesterday  Robert Hadden was charged with sex trafficking after four patients complained the doctor induced them to cross State lines for what they thought were medical examinations during which the doctor assaulted them. The doctor enticed his patients to travel to New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Nevada to engage in illegal sexual activity.  Robert Hadden’s sentencing is scheduled for April 25th. Despite some victims asking for the abuser to remain in jail, Judge Berman allowed Hadden to remain free for now.  He said Hadden was not a flight risk and was the caretaker for his son who suffers from cerebral palsy and autism as well as his wife who has diabetes and neuropathy.

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FBI child sexual abuser picture30 year old Brian Quinones, a  paraprofessional at Midwood High School in Brooklyn, NYC, has been arrested last week for cyberstalking, distribution of child phonography and sexually exploiting a minor. Quinones was working in a one-and-one capacity with special need students.

Quinones preyed on his victims on the internet. He would pose as a woman to lure minor boys into sending him explicit content videos. He would then black mail his victims and threaten to put the video on the internet if they were not sending him more content.

After it was found that between 2019 and 2020, Quinones had been exchanging more than 100 files containing child phonography material with another individual who was also charged with child phonography offenses, the FBI was allowed by the court to search the apartment of  Quinones and sized his electronic equipment. They  recovered explicit WhatsApp messages between Quinones and a boy who was 15 year old. Quinones was pretending to be a woman and was threatening the young victim to ruin his life if he was not sending him more explicit content. When the boy refused Quinones replied “I’m ready to make u famous[.] Any last words?”.

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New York Public School 70 where child sexual abuse took placeA teacher at a NYC public school allegedly sexually abused a 10 year old student and forcibly touched her. He also showed naked adult female pictures to 3 others.

48 year old Norman Dunkley has been teaching science for more than 23 years at Public School 70 in Claremont Village.  An investigation was started after 4 students, all 10 year old, complained about the teacher’s inappropriate behavior. One of the girls  reported that the teacher touched her breast and the 3 others complained that the teacher showed them nude pictures of adult women and told them they were “his babies”.

The teacher was arrested on wednesday and in a criminal complaint that was made public Thursday, he was charged with endangering the welfare of a child, harassment, forcible touching and sexual abuse.  This is the first criminal complaint against him and  probably not the last one as the investigation is ongoing.

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