On 30/6, Zhi Alan Cheng, a 35-year-old Chinese-American doctor living in New York, appeared in a Queens courtroom. He has been in custody since his 2022 arrest. Cheng pleaded guilty to 4 counts of rape and 3 counts of sexual abuse.
In total, Cheng admitted to sexually assaulting 7 women.
Cheng is being held without bail and has been barred from practicing medicine. Prosecutors say he is expected to receive a 24-year prison sentence at his sentencing on 28/8.
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Zhi Alan Cheng (wearing glasses). Photo: NYPost |
Zhi Alan Cheng (wearing glasses). Photo: NYPost
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz said, "The level of violence and depravity exhibited by Zhi Alan Cheng in his sexual abuse of these victims is made even more disturbing by the fact that he swore an oath as a physician."
Cheng worked as a gastroenterologist at New York-Presbyterian Queens Hospital until late 2022 when a girlfriend accused him of drugging her unconscious in his Astoria apartment. He used a surgical mask filled with a drug-soaked cotton ball.
This woman contacted prosecutors after discovering videos of Cheng assaulting her and other women.
The investigation led to a search of Cheng’s home, where authorities found several disturbing videos.
Recordings show Cheng touching sedated women at the hospital, some as young as 19, prosecutors said.
Other videos filmed at Cheng’s home depict the assault of unconscious women who appear to have been drugged. The victims were people he met through online dating websites and apps.
Officials also seized cocaine, fentanyl, ketamine, LSD, and MDMA, along with sedatives such as propofol and sevoflurane.
Most of the victims have no memory of the assaults due to the drugs. One woman woke up during the assault after being sedated for a digestive procedure, prosecutors said.
Sexual assault in hospitals is often underreported, making it difficult to obtain accurate statistics. According to a study by the Federation of State Medical Boards, approximately 18% of Americans have experienced unethical or unprofessional conduct from healthcare providers.
According to a 2023 Joint Commission report, hospitals' self-reported data shows assaults, rapes, sexual assaults, and homicides increased by a total of 77% from 2021 to 2023. Of these, 43% were sexual assaults, including rape.
Hospitals are environments with inherent power dynamics. Patients are often sedated, unconscious, or incapacitated, making them vulnerable. When the perpetrator is a medical professional, fear of retaliation or disbelief often silences survivors, many experts say.
Hai Thu (NYPost, ABC)
