An X-ray technician accused of molesting a female patient at St. Luke's Hospital was arraigned on sex-abuse charges Monday - and suspended from his job.
But Sylvester Chase's defense lawyer says he never should have been arrested and attacked the victim for being "intoxicated."
Defense lawyer John Russo said Chase, 41, has an "impeccable record" and denies what he called a "baseless, uncorroborated allegation."
In an apparent effort to undermine the 59-year-old victim's credibility, Russo told the court the woman had been hurt in a "drunken fall" at her home.
Police said the victim went to the W. 113th St. hospital Sunday morning with possible fractures of her wrist, ribs and shoulder blade.
A police source has said she was in and out of consciousness from alcohol and painkillers she took after the fall.
While he was taking X-rays, Chase, 41, pulled down the woman's pants and molested her, the source said.
She yelled out, and he pulled up her pants and wheeled her out to a waiting area, the source said.
The woman told security guards what allegedly happened and police were called.
Chase was held in lieu of $5,000 bail after an arraignment on sex abuse charges.
His lawyer said there's no forensic evidence to back up the accusation.
"These allegations are absurd," Russo said.
The suspect lives in Wood-Ridge, N.J. His wife and sister, who is an city emergency medical technician, were at the arraignment court but had no comment.
St. Luke's said it immediately notified the NYPD of the woman's allegation and is cooperating with the investigation.
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