A former Manhattan gynecologist who was accused of sexual abuse by dozens of women was convicted by a federal jury on Tuesday of enticing and inducing patients to cross state lines into New York for what they believed were routine examinations during which he sexually assaulted them.
The charges against Robert A. Hadden, who has not worked as a doctor since 2012, stemmed from assaults against four patients who traveled from and through New Jersey, Nevada and Pennsylvania for gynecological and obstetrics appointments.
The jury’s verdict came about two hours after members began deliberating on Tuesday around 10:30 a.m. The jury found that Mr. Hadden, 64, was guilty on all four counts of enticing his former patients into the state to engage in illegal sexual activity.
As the verdict was read, the sniffles from a row of victims were heard throughout the courtroom.
Once the jury was escorted out of the room, Mr. Hadden turned to hug his family and supporters in the first row of the gallery.
“Robert Hadden was a predator in a white coat,” said Damian Williams, U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York, in a statement after the verdict. “For years, he cruelly lured women who sought professional medical care to his offices in order to gratify himself. ”
Mr. Hadden’s sentencing is scheduled for April 25, before Judge Richard M. Berman of Federal District Court in Manhattan. Each of the four counts carries a maximum of 20 years in prison.
Mr. Hadden’s federal conviction comes more than six years after he pleaded guilty to a single felony count of a criminal sexual act in the third degree, and a misdemeanor count of forcible touching in a state case where he was accused by 19 patients of sexual abuse.
The Manhattan district attorney’s office, under Cyrus R. Vance Jr. at the time, agreed not to seek prison time for Mr. Hadden and promised not to pursue new sexual abuse allegations against him as part of the agreement. His sex-offender status was reduced so that it would end after 20 years and his name would not be on an online list of offenders.
Brittany Kriegstein contributed reporting.
