By Forum Staff
A borough gastroenterologist who raped several women and sexually abused unconscious hospital patients—and filmed the assaults—was sentenced on Thursday to 24 years in prison, according to Queens DA Melinda Katz.
Zhi Alan Cheng, 35, of Astoria, pleaded guilty June 30 to four counts of rape in the first degree and three counts of sexual abuse in the first degree in satisfaction of the consolidated indictments against him. He additionally entered an Alford plea to one count of sexual abuse.
The Hon. Ushir Pandit-Durant sentenced Cheng to a determinate sentence of 24 years in prison, to be followed by 10 years’ post-release supervision. Cheng will be required to register as a sex offender upon his release from Prison. Katz said he will likely be on the sex-offender registry for the rest of his life.
Cheng’s ability to practice medicine has been suspended by the State.
Cheng was arrested on Dec. 27, 2022, for raping a female acquaintance at his apartment. The woman discovered videos depicting her and other women being assaulted by the doctor.
An investigation was launched by the DA’s Special Victims Bureau, working with New York-Presbyterian Queens in Flushing, where Cheng was employed.
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DA Katz has called Cheng’s admitted behavior “heinous.”
A search warrant executed at Cheng’s home led to the seizure of numerous digital media storage devices that contained videos of him sexually abusing unconscious female hospital patients and female acquaintances.
Cheng was subsequently charged in multiple indictments with over 50-counts relating to his abuse of the victims.
“Zhi Alan Cheng committed a series of heinous acts against women,” Katz said. “He did so both as a private citizen, sexually assaulting women who were his intimate partners, and as a doctor, sexually assaulting vulnerable patients who came to the hospital in need of help.”
