Clinical Social Worker Mark Bernardini, who pleaded guilty in January to sexually abusing two patients, was sentenced today to five years in state prison and 15 years post-release supervision, Westchester County District Attorney Janet DiFiore announced Feb. 19.
had pleaded guilty in January to:
• one count of Criminal Sexual Act in the First Degree, a class “B” Violent Felony
• one count of Forcible Touching, a class “A” Misdemeanor, relating to two separate incidents with two different victims.
According to DiFiore, Bernardini “inappropriately touched a 19-year-old woman that he was counseling at his home office in North Salem” in May of 2013. And in July, Bernardini “engaged in sexual contact with a 12-year-old boy that he was counseling” while at his Milburn Street office in Bronxville.
“This defendant used his position of trust and authority as a therapist to target, take advantage of and exploit for his own desires these two unsuspecting victims. Instead of helping them with their vulnerabilities, he used them. The courage displayed by both young victims in this case in immediately alerting their parents to what had transpired resulted in this defendant being held accountable today,” DiFiore said in a statement.
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