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St. Luke's X-Ray Technician Charged With Sexually Abusing Patient

By Della Hasselle | January 3, 2011 7:19am | Updated on January 3, 2011 3:20pm
St. Luke's Hospital in Morningside Heights, where an X-ray technician allegedly sexually assaulted a patient Jan. 2.
St. Luke's Hospital in Morningside Heights, where an X-ray technician allegedly sexually assaulted a patient Jan. 2.
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DNAinfo/Leslie Albrecht

By Della Hasselle, Shayna Jacobs and Ben Fractenberg

DNAinfo Reporter/Producer

MANHATTAN CRIMINAL COURT — The lawyer for a St. Luke's Hospital X-ray technician charged with sexually abusing a female patient claimed the woman was drunk when she was in his client's care.

Sylvester Chase, 41, is accused of groping a 59-year-old patient below the waist while she was sleeping during an X-ray procedure at around 6 a.m. Sunday, police and prosecutors said.

But Chase's lawyer, John Russo, denied the charges and said the woman was so intoxicated that she fell down in the X-ray room after she showed up to the hospital's emergency room.

Russo added that there were no witnesses to the incident and claimed there was no forensic evidence to substantiate it.

An X-ray technician at St. Luke's Hospital allegedly sexually abused a female patient in his care on Jan. 2.
An X-ray technician at St. Luke's Hospital allegedly sexually abused a female patient in his care on Jan. 2.
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DNAinfo/Leslie Albrecht

"We intend to fight, vigorously, each and every aspect of these charges," he said.

Chase was arrested at the hospital Sunday after police received a 911 call reporting the alleged crime, and he was arraigned in Manhattan Criminal Court on Monday afternoon on sex abuse charges.

Chase was temporarily suspended from his job pending the outcome of the investigation, a St. Luke's spokesman said.

"As soon as the alleged incident was reported to security and hospital leadership, we notified the NYPD and will cooperate fully with their investigation," spokesman Jim Mandler said.

Mandler declined to comment on how long Chase had worked at St. Luke's and what kind of background checks the hospital does on prospective employees.

Chase has been an X-ray technician at the hospital for years, his lawyer said outside the courtroom after the arraignment.

Russo said Chase had never been arrested before.

"He's terribly embarrassed — in shock someone would make this allegation against him," Russo said.

Chase was arrested Sunday at 10:50 a.m. at St. Luke's Hospital, located at 421 W. 113rd St., according to police.

Visitors to the hospital Monday were perturbed by the allegations of sexual abuse there.

"My mom hasn't had any X-rays, but that's kind of disturbing," said Patrick McCabe, whose mother was being treated at St. Luke's emergency room on Monday afternoon . "I'm definitely going to be vigilant. I'm protective of my mom."

An X-ray technician at St. Luke's Hospital allegedly sexually abused a female patient in his care on Jan. 2.
An X-ray technician at St. Luke's Hospital allegedly sexually abused a female patient in his care on Jan. 2.
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DNAinfo/Leslie Albrecht

He added that the emergency department was packed with patients, some of whom had been waiting more than a day for treatment.

But Richie Nandalall of Queens, whose 4-month-old son was a patient at the hospital, said he wasn't too worried about the sex abuse accusation.

"Things happen," Nandalall said. "Just because someone messed up, you're going to blame the hospital? We're all human beings."

An X-ray technician at St. Luke's Hospital allegedly sexually abused a female patient in his care on Jan. 2.
An X-ray technician at St. Luke's Hospital allegedly sexually abused a female patient in his care on Jan. 2.
View Full Caption
DNAinfo/Leslie Albrecht