On April 14, 2025, a health center technician in Oakland Park was arrested after Broward Sheriff’s Office detectives investigated a report of sexual battery at Fort Lauderdale Behavioral Health Center located on N. Dixie Hwy. Jeff Doresca, 37, is accused of raping a drugged patient the the psychiatric hospital during his shift. Doresca faces six counts of sexual battery on a helpless victim and was booked into the Broward County Jail. He is being held without bond. Broward Sheriff’s Office detectives worry there might be more victims.
According to media reports, the female victim voluntarily admitted herself to the facility seeking help for mental health conditions on February 13, 2025. On the night of February 16, Doresca entered her room multiple times and sexually battered her, BSO investigators said.
The police report says Doresca’s job was to check his patients, making sure they bathed and made rounds every 15 minutes or so. On February 16th, the victim received her nightly medication around 4 pm, which caused drowsiness. She dozed off and saw Doresca in her room. He asked her if she showered, to which she replied that she did not. Doresca told her to shower, he watched and asked if he could” have a taste.” She didn’t understand what he was referring to, and then Doresca rubbed the patient’s clitoris with his two fingers, and licked them. He replied that she “tasted good.” The victim told Doresca she didn’t know what was going on, that she was drowsy, and went back to her bed.
At 9 pm, more medication was given to the victim, which again made her sleepy. She states that the Tech came back into her room and forced her to perform oral sex on him by grabbing her from behind her head while she was in bed and shoved his penis in her mouth. She was too weak and drowsy to resist. Doresca returned to her room five additional times, placed her sideways on the bed, pulled her pants and underwear down and penetrated her from behind with his penis. The victim was too drowsy and weak to resist.
Video surveillance shows Doresca entering the victim’s room at 7:27 pm, exiting at 7:29 pm, and coming back in at 7:39 pm and exiting again at 7:40 pm. Doresca went back into the patient’s room at 10:42 and left at 10:44 pm, one minute after the roommate left the room briefly. Doresca went back at 10:58 pm and left again at 10:50 pm. Doresca went back in at 12:24 AM, exited one minute later. Back in at 12:34 AM, and exited at 12:36 AM. Doresca went back into the victim’s room at 12:39 for two minutes, back again at 12:43 AM for 3 minutes. And he went back in the patient’s room again at 12:48 AM and exited at 12:54 AM. The police report states that the video surveillance shows Doreka entering the room and looking down the hallway to see if anyone was looking at him each time. Every other patient that he visited, he did not look down the hall before entering the room.
When questioned, Doresca confessed and told detectives he did have sex with the patient doggie style and that she also performed oral sex on him. Doresca claims that the patient pressured him to do it and threatened to have him lose his job. Doresca admitted that when he was hired, he was instructed never to have any sexual contact with the patients. Doresca stated that he knew it was wrong to have sex with mental patients who were drowsy from being under the influence of medication. He told the detective he was not thinking straight when he had sex with the helpless victim, who was unable to resist due to being too weak and dizzy from her medication. Doresca confirmed that the sexual contact happened just after midnight. Investigators noted her roommate observed Doresca having sex with the victim, but wasn’t sure what was going on. The detectives say there is evidence backing up the victim’s story and fear there are other victims.
During the hearing, one prosecutor stated, “It would appear that Mr. Doresca was looking after some of the most vulnerable members of our society, and took advantage of that and violated the trust of one patient.” Police urge anyone who has information about Doresca or has been sexually assaulted by Doresca to please come forward.
Finding the right medical provider can be challenging. A person looks for seasoned professionals with good bedside manners, compassion, and empathy. When we finally decide on one, we hope to feel better over time, not be violated by the very person we trust. Doctors hold a position of power in the physician-patient relationship. It is both unacceptable and unlawful for a healthcare professional to touch a patient in any sexual manner or practice any sexual misconduct while treating the patient.
Horowitz Law has filed numerous sexual misconduct claims against medical professionals on behalf of patients who were inappropriately touched in their care. Under no circumstances is a doctor or nurse permitted to have sexual contact with a patient. If you have been a victim of sexual assault or sexual battery at a medical office or facility, or if you know someone who has, please contact our law firm at 888-283-9922 or send an e-mail to sexual abuse lawyer Adam Horowitz at adam@adamhorowitzlaw.com for a free consultation.