“When psychiatrists and other mental health professionals sexually assault their patients, they betray a position of sacred trust. This is not a ‘professional boundary violation’—it is sexual battery and rape.” – Jan Eastgate, President CCHR International

Reports of sexual abuse by psychiatrists, therapists, and psychiatric facility staff demand stronger criminal laws, mandatory reporting, and full accountability

By CCHR International
The Mental Health Industry Watchdog
June 26, 2026

CCHR International is urging all survivors of sexual abuse by psychiatrists, psychologists, other mental health therapists, or psychiatric hospital staff to come forward and report it, in confidence, to CCHR. An online reporting form is available for survivors and witnesses to report these crimes safely and privately. This call follows a disturbing rise in media reports and convictions involving patients sexually abused by mental health professionals. In response, CCHR International is calling for uniform state laws that deliver stronger criminal penalties, mandatory reporting requirements, and full accountability for those who exploit vulnerable patients.

CCHR helped secure some of the first state laws in California and Colorado, making sexual contact between therapists and patients a criminal offense. Today, 33 U.S. states and the District of Columbia have criminal statutes recognizing the added protections patients need.[1] Similar laws have been achieved in Australia, Germany, Israel and Sweden.[2]

CCHR’s public database of criminal and disciplinary actions by mental health personnel shows that nearly a third of criminal convictions involve sexual abuse by psychiatrists, psychologists, therapists, and counselors—including the sexual assault of children.[3]

Inadequate Reporting Requirements

A study addressing U.S. laws found that only five states have addressed the specific topic of reporting sexual relationships between physicians and patients. Of these, only Texas mandates that a physician who learns of such misconduct report it, even without the patient’s consent. Another 18 states permit reporting under broader laws covering physician impairments and unethical conduct. Even in these states, reporting standards vary widely, with vague terms such as “reasonable belief,” “reasonable cause to believe,” or “any information” that offer little clear guidance.[4]

A 2020 report on sexual assault in psychiatric settings found that the majority of states do not mandate physicians to report sexually exploitative colleagues—even when the information is disclosed during treatment—although many state medical boards have such requirements.[5]

A survey of psychiatrists revealed that more than one-third knew of a colleague who had been sexually involved with patients, yet only 8% reported the exploitation, even though 56% favored mandatory reporting.[6]

Drugging and Exploitation

As CCHR has documented over 55 years, victims are frequently drugged by the abusing therapist—a factor that statutes must specifically address. For example, Florida defines “mentally incapacitated” as being “temporarily incapable of appraising or controlling a person’s own conduct due to the influence of a narcotic, anesthetic, or intoxicating substance administered without his or her consent.”[7]

The Federation of State Medical Boards’ expanded definition of physician sexual misconduct covers not only sexual violation but also sexual impropriety, such as seductive behavior, sexually suggestive gestures, or demeaning expressions. Eighteen states impose a duty to report unethical conduct by physicians, regardless of specialty.[8]

Prevalence of Abuse

A January 2026 BMJ Open scoping review mapped existing literature on abuse by healthcare professionals in mental health services (physical, psychological, sexual, economic harm, neglect, human rights violations, and harassment). In inpatient psychiatry, coercive measures like seclusion and restraint can enable abuse. It also cited a study of adverse experiences in psychiatric hospitals in which approximately 3%–21% of patients reported experiencing some form of abuse by healthcare professionals.[9]

The harm from physician sexual misconduct has been recognized for decades, yet the problem persists.[10]

• Surveys from the 1970s and 1980s found that approximately 7% of psychiatrists admitted to sexual misconduct during their careers, with over one-third involved with more than one patient.[11]

• A U.S. national survey on therapist-client sex involving minors found that one in 20 abused clients was a minor (average age 7 for girls and 12 for boys; youngest was three).[12]

• A 2012 review showed psychiatrists represented the greatest percentage of “boundary” violators among clients referred to a physician health program.[13]

• Therapists who engage in sexual contact with patients are often repeat offenders. Surveys show that over 50% of male therapists who admitted such involvement reported multiple patients[14]; a Canadian study placed the repeat offender rate at 80 percent.[15]

• Referring to criminal sexual assault of patients as a mere “boundary violation” is a gross misrepresentation. While acknowledging that such abuse is “inherently harmful to patients, always unethical, and usually illegal,” some psychiatric literature still downplays it with softer language.[16]

Sexual Abuse of Hospitalized Patients Is Rife

A 2023 study found that 5% to 45% of mental health inpatients experience sexual violence during admission. Underreporting is common due to stigma, fear of disbelief, retaliation, or mistrust, as well as a culture of silence among staff.[17]

CCHR has documented systemic sexual abuse in for-profit psychiatric and behavioral hospitals, including 21 incidents involving patients and children in one chain of facilities.

• Two staff members were convicted and sentenced to a combined 35 years in prison; two facilities closed following sexual abuse allegations.[18]
• A staff member pleaded guilty to sexual abuse and was placed on the state’s sex offender registry.[19]
• A mental health technician received 25 years in prison for sexually abusing six girls at a Florida juvenile facility.[20]

High-profile cases include:

• In 2019, Signature Healthcare Services’ Aurora Vista del Mar hospital in California was ordered to pay $13.4 million in damages after a former employee’s sexual misconduct with three patients. The facility had employed someone previously convicted of statutory rape. The jury found Signature, owned by psychiatrist Soon K. Kim, had acted with malice.[21]

• A former patient at The Devereux Foundation in Georgia was awarded $50 million in punitive damages after sexual abuse by a staff member in 2012 at age 15. The facility and the employee were each found to be 50 percent responsible; Singleterry was sentenced to 12 years in prison.[22]

• An April 2026 Michigan lawsuit alleged a 17-year-old girl was repeatedly sexually abused at Detroit Behavioral Institute, owned by Acadia Healthcare, with the company accused of ignoring and covering up evidence of broader misconduct.[23]

• In 2023, a jury ruled against Acadia Healthcare and its subsidiary, Desert Hills, in a civil lawsuit involving the sexual abuse of an eight-year-old girl who had been placed in a foster home by Familyworks, operated by Desert Hills in New Mexico.[24]

• In 2024, Acadia closed its Highland Ridge psychiatric hospital in Utah after state regulators investigated reports of dozens of rapes and assaults, with investigators and employees even referring to the facility as “The Rape Hospital” due to the frequency of sexual violence that was reported.[25]

• In 2024, a Richmond civil court jury ruled in favor of three young women who alleged they were sexually abused while patients at the Cumberland Hospital in New Kent County, owned by UHS, awarding $360 million. The suit stemmed from a $930 million lawsuit filed against Cumberland Hospital and its former medical director, Dr. Daniel Davidow, by 46 former patients.[26]

• In 2024, 20 lawsuits were filed against Four Winds hospitals in New York, accusing staff of sexual abuse ranging from groping to rape. A staff member, Dominic Sbordone, was arrested in 2017 for similar offenses. That staff member pleaded guilty and was sentenced to a mere six months in jail and 10 years’ probation.[27]

• In June 2026, Montana suspended referrals to Utah’s Provo Canyon behavioral facility, owned by Universal Health Services (UHS), amid allegations of sexual assaults and other abuses, adding to its documented history of violations.[28] In February 2020, a Provo Canyon staff member was charged with first-degree felony sodomy on a child and second-degree felony enticing a minor.[29]

Cases of Psychiatrists and Psychologists

• Dr. Harold Bloomfield, psychiatrist, Del Mar, California: Pleaded guilty to drugging and sexually assaulting two female patients. He received community service and a five-year ban from practicing medicine.[30]

• Dr. Muhammad Saeed, psychiatrist, Tucson, Arizona: Convicted in 2025 on one count of sexual assault, 30 counts of sexual abuse, and fraud involving three patients. He allegedly prescribed controlled substances, leading to overdoses. “This doctor abused his doctor-patient relationships and took advantage of his position of power to prey on the women in his care,” said Attorney General Kris Mayes. “I am inspired by the three former patients who testified at this trial and helped us bring Dr. Saeed to justice.” Dr. Saeed is a known fugitive who is believed to have fled to Pakistan prior to prosecution.[31]

• Dr. Gerardo Navarro-Rodriguez, psychiatrist, Puerto Rico: Sentenced to 15 years in 2015 for transporting a minor for sexual conduct and lewd acts against child sexual abuse victims he treated. “Predators who victimize innocent children for selfish gratification must know that we will not rest until they are brought to justice, regardless of where they live and who they are,” said Ricardo Mayoral, acting special agent in charge of HSI San Juan. “Words cannot describe the harm that these crimes inflict on children.”[32]

• James Michael Chevrier, psychologist, Lakewood, Colorado: Sentenced to at least five years in prison for sexual assault on a child. He was a high school psychologist at Green Mountain High School and Bear Creek High School in Lakewood, Colorado.[33]

• Dr. Andrew Sorial, psychiatrist, Boca Raton, Florida: Had his license suspended in 2026 after patients alleged he demanded they undress during appointments. One plaintiff stated: “I would tell him he is evil and vile and he deserves to go to jail for what he did.”[34]

Jan Eastgate, President of CCHR International, said, “Many mental health facilities operate with little supervision, creating a breeding ground for horrific acts to go undetected for years. When psychiatrists and other mental health professionals sexually assault their patients, they betray a position of sacred trust. This is not a ‘professional boundary violation’—it is sexual battery and rape.

“It would be unthinkable in any other context: no one would describe the rape or sexual battery of a victim by a stranger or acquaintance as simply ‘crossing a boundary.’ Such language would rightly be condemned as an insult to victims. Yet in psychiatry, this sanitized terminology persists, shielding perpetrators and deepening the trauma of survivors by implying the abuse is a mere ethical lapse rather than a violent crime.”

CCHR calls for immediate regulatory reforms, including the passage of uniform criminal laws in all states, making sexual contact between therapists and patients a felony offense. Additional measures should include the revocation of government contracts and licenses for any facility where staff sexually abuse patients, along with mandatory criminal accountability for perpetrators.

CCHR continues to urge victims and witnesses to come forward. Reports can be made in confidence to CCHR’s abuse online form.

[1] https://www.cchrint.org/2018/02/07/when-your-psychiatrist-or-therapist-is-a-sexual-predator-metoo-in-the-mental-health-industry/

[2] https://www.cchrint.org/about-us/cchr-accomplishments/

[3] https://www.cchrint.org/2017/10/31/sexual-abuse-in-the-mental-health-system/

[4] Chinmoy Gulrajani, “A Duty to Protect Our Patients from Physician Sexual Misconduct,” Journal of the American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law Online, May 2020,  https://jaapl.org/content/early/2020/05/11/JAAPL.200014-20

[5] Chinmoy Gulrajani, May 2020

[6] Chinmoy Gulrajani, May 2020

[7] Peter Teravskis, Rebecca Grossman-Kahn, Chinmoy Gulrajani “Victim Intoxication and Capacity to Consent in Sexual Assault Statutes across the United States,” The Journal of the American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law, Dec. 2022, https://jaapl.org/content/early/2022/12/02/JAAPL.220032-21/tab-figures-data

[8] Chinmoy Gulrajani, May 2020

[9] Kei Matoba et al., “Abuse of people with mental illnesses perpetrated by healthcare professionals: a scoping review,” BMJ Open, 9 Jan. 2026, https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12815128/

[10] Chinmoy Gulrajani, May 2020  

[11] Chinmoy Gulrajani, May 2020

[12] Kenneth S. Pope, “Sex Between Therapists and Clients,”  appeared in Encyclopedia of Women and Gender: Sex Similarities and Differences and the Impact of Society on Gender (pages 955-962; vol. 2) edited by Judith Worell and published by Academic Press, October, 2001, 1264 pages, ISBN 0122272455, https://kspope.com/sexiss/sexencyc.php

[13] Chinmoy Gulrajani, May 2020  

[14] https://www.cchrint.org/2019/08/26/cchr-calls-for-investigation-of-systemic-betrayal-and-rape-in-the-psychiatric-behavioral-system/; citing: Gary C. Hankins et al, “Patient-Therapist Sexual Involvement: A Review of Clinical and Research Data,” Bulletin of the American Academy of Psychiatry Law, Vol. 22, No.1, 1994, http://jaapl.org/content/jaapl/22/1/109.full.pdf

[15] https://www.cchrint.org/2019/08/26/cchr-calls-for-investigation-of-systemic-betrayal-and-rape-in-the-psychiatric-behavioral-system/; Paul E Garfinkel, MD, FRCPC et al., “Boundary Violations and Personality Traits among Psychiatrists” Can J Psychiatry 1997;42:758–763, https://www.academia.edu/31700712/Boundary_Violations_and_Personality_Traits_among_Psychiatrists

[16] https://www.cchrint.org/2017/10/31/sexual-abuse-in-the-mental-health-system/; “Psychiatrist/patient boundaries: When it’s OK to stretch the line,” Current Psychiatry, 2008 August;7(8):53-62, http://www.mdedge.com/currentpsychiatry/article/63241/psychiatrist/patient-boundaries-when-its-ok-stretch-line

[17] Holly Betterly et al, “Sexual assault in the inpatient psychiatric setting,” General Hospital Psychiatry, May-June 2023, https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0163834323000270

[18] https://www.cchrint.org/2019/08/26/cchr-calls-for-investigation-of-systemic-betrayal-and-rape-in-the-psychiatric-behavioral-system/; https://www.cchrint.org/2017/10/03/largest-psychiatric-hospital-chain-patient-sexual-assault-abuse-violence/

[19] https://www.cchrint.org/2019/08/26/cchr-calls-for-investigation-of-systemic-betrayal-and-rape-in-the-psychiatric-behavioral-system/#_edn6; Christy Gutowski, “ACLU demands immediate changes at Uptown psychiatric hospital amid child sexual abuse allegations,” Chicago Tribune, 2 Nov. 2018, https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/watchdog/ct-met-lakeshore-hospital-lawmakers-dcfs-20181101-story.html

[20] https://www.cchrint.org/2019/08/26/cchr-calls-for-investigation-of-systemic-betrayal-and-rape-in-the-psychiatric-behavioral-system/; “Teen Girls Molested at Youth Prison,” Health News Florida, 12 Feb. 2013, http://health.wusf.usf.edu/post/teen-girls-molested-youth-prison#stream/0; “Former med tech gets 25 years in sex case,” Pensacola News Journal, 16 Apr. 2014, http://www.pnj.com/story/news/2014/04/17/former-med-tech-gets-25-years-in-sex-case/7809815/

[21] https://www.cchrint.org/2020/01/13/for-profit-psychiatric-hospitals-a-year-of-police-raids-staff-arrests/; Tom Kisken, “Psych hospital owner testifies in Vista del Mar trial over ex-worker’s sexual misconduct,” VC Star, 16 Jul. 2019, https://www.vcstar.com/story/news/local/2019/07/16/aurora-vista-del-mar-trial/1720652001/; https://www.cchrint.org/2019/08/26/cchr-calls-for-investigation-of-systemic-betrayal-and-rape-in-the-psychiatric-behavioral-system/; Tom Kisken, “Jury awards 3 women $13.25M after sexual misconduct at a California psychiatric facility,” USA Today, 13 Aug. 2019, https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2019/08/13/three-women-13-million-sexual-misconduct-psychiatric-hospital/2001811001/; https://caselaw.findlaw.com/court/ca-court-of-appeal/2155829.html

[22] https://www.cchrint.org/2020/01/13/for-profit-psychiatric-hospitals-a-year-of-police-raids-staff-arrests/; https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/231390618; “Cobb woman awarded $50 million in lawsuit against nonprofit,” Marietta Daily Journal, 27 Nov. 2019, https://www.mdjonline.com/news/cobb-woman-awarded-million-in-lawsuit-against-nonprofit/article_318c8556-1128-11ea-81cb-93d042c901f4.html

[23] Lauren Kostiuk, “Teen sexually abused multiple times at now-closed Detroit behavioral facility, lawsuit alleges.” ClickOnDetroit (WDIV Local 4), 8 Apr. 2026, https://www.clickondetroit.com/news/local/2026/04/08/teen-sexually-abused-multiple-times-at-now-closed-detroit-behavioral-facility-lawsuit-alleges

[24] Rylee Wilson, “Acadia Healthcare pays $400M to settle sexual abuse cases,” Becker’s Behavioral Health, 1 Nov. 2023, https://www.beckersbehavioralhealth.com/behavioral-health-news/acadia-healthcare-pays-400m-to-settle-sexual-abuse-cases

[25]https://www.cchrint.org/2025/03/14/urgent-action-needed-reports-of-patient-sexual-abuse-psychiatric-hospitals/;  Adam Herbets, “Utah psychiatric hospital to shut down after years of safety concerns exposed by FOX 13 Investigates,” Fox 13 News, Salt Lake City, 8 Apr. 2024, https://www.fox13now.com/news/fox-13-investigates/watch-the-fox-13-investigations-leading-up-to-shutdown-of-highland-ridge-hospital#google_vignette

[26] https://www.cchrint.org/2020/10/27/uhs-multiple-child-sexual-abuse-charges-and-127m-lawsuit/;  “Sexual abuse alleged in $127 million lawsuit against children’s hospital in New Kent County,” Richmond Dispatch News, 20 Oct. 2020, https://richmond.com/news/state-and-regional/sexual-abuse-alleged-in-127-million-lawsuit-against-childrens-hospital-in-new-kent-county/article_48f551ed-0c7f-5736-aac6-5c05562faca6.html; “Jury Delivers $360 million verdict in trial against Cumberland Hospital, former medical director,” WTVR CBS 6, 27 Sept. 2024, https://www.wtvr.com/news/local-news/jury-reaches-verdict-in-cumberland-hospital-trial-sept-27-2024

[27] https://www.cchrint.org/2025/03/14/urgent-action-needed-reports-of-patient-sexual-abuse-psychiatric-hospitals/; Irvin Jackson, “New York Psychiatric Hospital Chain Faces 20 Sexual Assault Lawsuits by Former Patients,” AboutLawsuits, 16 Dec. 2024, https://www.aboutlawsuits.com/new-york-psychiatric-hospital-chain-20-sexual-assault-lawsuits/

[28] Seaborn Larson, “Montana suspends referrals to Utah ‘troubled teen’ program after Belgrade boy suffers TBI,” The Billings Gazette, 18 June 2026, https://billingsgazette.com/news/state-regional/article_21f252dc-3789-5555-99c8-51ed3fa5399c.html

[29] https://www.cchrint.org/2020/10/30/child-abuse-allegations-in-the-behavioral-psychiatric-industry-universal-health-services-uhs/’ Jessica Miller, “Staffer at Utah youth hospital accused of forcing sex on 12-year-old former patient,” The Salt Lake Tribune, 7 Feb 2020, https://www.sltrib.com/news/2020/02/06/staffer-utah-youth/; Pat Reavy, “Charges: Staffer at Utah behavior hospital charged with sexually abusing girl,” Deseret News, 6 Feb 2020, https://www.deseret.com/utah/2020/2/6/21126482/charges-staffer-at-utah-behavior-hospital-charged-with-sexually-abusing-girl

[30] “Some high-profile doctors who sexually abused their patients,” The Atlanta Journal Constitution, https://doctors.ajc.com/sex_abuse_doctors_profiles/

[31] “Attorney General Mayes Announces Conviction of Tucson Psychiatrist for Sexual Assault, Sexual Abuse, and Fraud,” Press Release, Drug Enforcement Administration, 14 July 2025, https://www.dea.gov/press-releases/2025/07/14/attorney-general-mayes-announces-conviction-tucson-psychiatrist-for

[32] “Former Puerto Rican psychiatrist sentenced to 15 years for child exploitation,” U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, 8 May 2015, https://www.ice.gov/news/releases/former-puerto-rican-psychiatrist-sentenced-15-years-child-exploitation

[33] Nate Lynn, “Former high school psychologist sentenced for sexual assault on a child,” 9 News, 18 June 2026 https://www.9news.com/article/news/crime/high-school-psychologist-sentenced-sexual-assault-child/73-9ec6395b-48e1-4553-9ba6-3c7021f5217a

[34] Jeff Derderian, “Boca psychiatrist suspended after patients say he demanded they undress during appointments,” 10 News, 19 June 2026, https://www.local10.com/news/local/2026/06/18/boca-psychiatrist-suspended-after-patients-say-he-demanded-they-undress-during-mental-health-appointments/; David J. Neal, “Florida psychiatrist accused of asking female patients to undress. Cases keep growing,” Tampa Bay Times, 7 June 2026, https://www.tampabay.com/news/florida/2026/06/07/florida-psychiatrist-accused-asking-female-patients-undress-cases-keep-growing/