A former doctor was sentenced to life in prison Wednesday after being convicted of sexually abusing multiple patients, including children, in the New York area for years.

Darius A. Paduch, a former urologist, was found guilty in May after a trial in which 11 victims testified that they had been abused by Paduch and dozens of others submitted statements to the court, federal prosecutors said.

Paduch, 57, has maintained his innocence and has said some of his methods of touching patients were medically necessary.

Prosecutors said Paduch sexually assaulted patients at a prominent Manhattan hospital from at least 2007 to 2019 and then continued abusing patients after he began practicing at another hospital on Long Island. He invited at least one victim onto his boat, where prosecutors say Paduch calmed the victim down and sexually assaulted him.

“He used his position as a renowned urologist at prestigious hospitals to sexually abuse vulnerable patients, including children, to satisfy his own sexual desires,” U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said in a statement. “Paduch’s abuse was perverse and pervasive, lasting more than a decade and costing patients both inside and outside hospital rooms.”

Paduch’s lawyer, Michael Baldassare, said in a statement that he would appeal in the coming days.

“Dr. Paduch maintains his innocence and we are confident that one day he will be proven right,” Baldassare said.