Doctor Robert Hadden, New York Gynecologist Charged With Sexually Assaulting Patients, Convicted Of Sex Trafficking

A former Columbia University gynecologist found guilty of federal sex crime charges on Tuesday after being accused of abusing hundreds of patients over the course of a decades-long career was a victory for accusers who were furious when a first state case ended with no jail time.

According to a press release from the US Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York, Robert Hadden, 64, was found guilty on four counts of luring and persuading people to travel across state lines to engage in illicit sexual activity, each of which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.

After the verdict, women who were among Hadden's victims expressed relief and said they couldn't wait for him to begin serving his sentence outside the courthouse.

Evelyn Yang, whose husband Andrew Yang unsuccessfully ran for president in 2020 and for mayor of New York City in 2022, remarked, "This is really a victory for all of us." She said that Hadden had molested her while she was seven months pregnant years earlier.

"It’s also validating. The jury came back with their verdict so quickly. And he was found guilty on all counts. That just, I think, leaves no doubt in anyone’s mind that he was a serial predator who deserves to be imprisoned," she said, reports nbcnews.

Hadden, who was released on a $1 million bail and is subject to electronic monitoring, chose not to remark as he left the courthouse.

He might not be free for long. A prosecutor and ten victims asked the judge to jail Hadden immediately; however, the judge denied their plea and scheduled a hearing for the next week to further consider the case. It was decided to sentence on April 25.

US Attorney Damian Williams called Hadden a “predator in a white coat.”

"For years, he cruelly lured women who sought professional medical care to his offices in order to gratify himself," Williams said in a statement. "Hadden’s victims trusted him as a physician, only to instead become victims of his heinous predilection."

Seven years ago, Hadden admitted to abusing two women in state court as part of a deal with the Manhattan District Attorney's Office.

With over 230 of Hadden's former patients, Columbia University Irving Medical Center and NewYork-Presbyterian already reached settlements totaling more than $236 million.