Plaintiffs say Chicago psychiatrist offered to perform oral sex on them for money

February 25, 2013

CHICAGO (CN) - A psychiatrist offered to pay two patients money if he could give them oral sex, causing one to quit treatment and die of a drug overdose, his father claims in court.

Alfredo Crespo Sr. sued Circle Family Healthcare Network and Dr. Josip Pasic on behalf of his late son, Alfredo Jr.

Elvis Silva joined as plaintiff, in Cook County Court.

Silva claims Pasic offered him $80 and tried to unbutton his pants, telling him he "just 'wanted to make him feel better."

Crespo Sr. claims that Pasic "provided psychiatric treatment to Alfredo Crespo Jr., deceased, at Hamlin Health Center, including prescribing him various anti-psychotic medications." Hamlin Health Center is run by Circle Family Healthcare.

During an appointment in October 2011, "the defendant, Josip Pasic M.D., made sexual advances toward Alfredo Crespo, Jr., deceased, including: asking Alfredo Crespo, Jr., deceased, if he, the defendant, Josip Pasic, M.D., could perform oral sex on him in exchange for money; touching him in the groin area; and trying to undo his pants," the complaint states.

It adds: "That these sexual advances made towards Alfredo Crespo, Jr., were nonconsensual.

"That Alfredo Crespo, Jr., deceased, refused the aforementioned unwanted sexual advances made by the defendant, Josip Pasic, M.D., and left the facility."

Crespo Sr. claims that "following the above-described event, Alfredo Crespo, Jr., deceased, refused to see any health care professional due to the amount of distress, depression and anxiety that he experienced as a result of this incident."

He claims that his son "finished the anti-psychotic medications prescribed to him by the defendant, Josip Pasic, M.D., and then began to self-medicate with street drugs and alcohol in order to control his anxiety and depression."

And "That on February 18, 2012, Alfredo Crespo, Jr., deceased, overdosed on alcohol and drugs causing his death."

Silva says he too received treatment from Pasic at the Hamlin Health Center.

Silva claims that "on or about March 26, 2012 ... Josip Pasic, M.D., made sexual advances toward the plaintiff Elvis Silva including: asking the plaintiff, Elvis Silva, if he the defendant, Josip Pasic, M.D., could perform oral sex on him in exchange for money (eighty dollars in cash), touching him in the groin area; and trying to undo his pants while telling him that he just 'wanted to make him feel better.'"

Silva says he rejected Pasic's advances, left the facility and reported Pasic's advances to Circle Family Healthcare.

He claims Circle Family told him not to file a police report, but to let it "investigate," and that he cooperated in its investigation, but did file a police report after twice being questioned by Circle Family.

Then, he says that "sometime shortly thereafter, two individuals came to the home of the plaintiff Elvis Silva, identified themselves as representatives of the defendant, Josip Pasic, M.D., and/or the defendant, Circle Family Healthcare Network, Inc., and asked the plaintiff,

Elvis Silva, to sign a document attesting that the allegations of sexual advances he made against the defendant, Josip Pasic, M.D., were false, in exchange for $10,000.00.

"That the plaintiff, Elvis Silva, refused to sign said document.

"That continuing thereafter for a period of several weeks these individuals made repeated phone calls and visits to the plaintiff's home causing him anxiety and fear."

In June 2012, Silva says, he went to Sunnyside Medical Center, also run by Circle Family Healthcare, to get his prescriptions refilled.

There, he says, "Elvis Silva was informed that the defendant, Josip Pasic, M.D., was working as a psychiatrist at this facility on that date and time and that he was primarily working with adolescents.

"That the plaintiff Elvis Silva left that facility without receiving any medical care or treatment after being advised that the defendant, Josip

Pasic, M.D., was performing work as a medical doctor at this facility."

The plaintiffs seek damages for medical negligence, intentional and negligent infliction of emotional distress, respondeat superior, and

Crespo seeks damages for wrongful death.

They are represented by Lyndsay Markley with Harman, Fedick & Markley. 

Source: Jack Bouboushian, "Patients Say Shrink Was a Sex Predator," Courthouse News Service, February 19, 2013.