Neurologist Convicted Of Raping And Sexually Assaulting Patients; Faces Life Sentence

New York City -- A 68-year-old Manhattan neurologist was found guilty Friday of raping and sexually assaulting six patients following a month-long trial.

Ricardo Cruciani was found guilty by a New York City jury on 12 criminal counts, including third-degree rape, sexual abuse, attempted rape, predatory sexual assault and criminal sexual act, the New York Post reported. He has denied the sexual abuse allegations.

The victims – who were Cruciani's patients at Manhattan's Beth Israel Medical Center and later at facilities in New Jersey and Pennsylvania – testified during the trial, where the court heard about how the doctor manipulated, abused and got the women hooked on pain medications so they were dependent on him.

Cruciani faces up to 25 years to life in prison. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Sept. 14.

The patients went to Cruciani to address rare diseases and chronic pain problems, prosecutors said during the trial.

The 68-year-old would develop close relationships with the women and groom them for sexual relationships, the Manhattan District Attorney’s office said.

The neurologist would force the debilitated patients to perform sexual acts in exchange for pain medication, according to prosecutors.

Cruciani would give them high doses of highly addictive medications to make sure that they would keep going back to him, prosecutors added.

In a statement, one of Cruciani’s victims, Hillary Tullin, alleged that the defense team tried to make it look like she and the other victims were liars.

“What happened to us is real, it’s traumatic and it can no longer be denied,” Tullin said.

Another victim, whose name was not made public, added that Cruciani's vulnerable victims "were given back their power" following his conviction.

“Ricardo Cruciani abused his power as a medical professional and knowingly took advantage of his patients’ pain,” Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg said in a statement, according to the New York Post. “Dr. Cruciani left in his wake six survivors who continue to suffer from debilitating diseases, and now, years of trauma.”

Cruciani's attorney, Fred Sosinsky, said Friday that his client was "crushed" by the outcome of the trial and that there would be an appeal, the Associated Press reported.

"In the end, it appears that the collective weight of six accusers, rather than a fair consideration of each of their problematic accounts, carried the day," Sosinsky said.

After the verdict was handed down, Cruciani, who had been out on bail, was jailed.