Chiropractor Ronald Bernardini pleads guilty to inappropriately touching a teen girl, prosecutors say

A Lake Ronkonkoma chiropractor has pleaded guilty to charges of inappropriately touching a 16-year-old female patient during an October exam, Suffolk prosecutors said.

Ronald Bernardini, 65, of Smithtown, pleaded guilty to the misdemeanor charge of endangering the welfare of a child before acting County Court Judge James Saladino on Tuesday. As part of a plea deal, Bernardini surrendered his license to practice as a chiropractor. Saladino also issued an order of protection, ordering Bernardini to stay away from the victim, prosecutors said.

“This defendant abused his position as a licensed chiropractor when he took advantage of an innocent patient to satisfy his own sexual interests,” said Suffolk District Attorney Ray Tierney.

According to court documents, the victim was seen by Bernardini on Oct. 24 for a routine chiropractor examination. The teen was brought into one examination room while her father was seen in another, prosecutors said.

During the exam, Bernardini "unnecessarily brushed his hands against the breasts of the then-16-year-old female patient," prosecutors said in a news release. 

After the examination concluded, the victim texted a friend and her father about what happened. Both father and daughter left the chiropractic office and contacted the victim's mother, who called police.

Bernardini was arrested the next day, Suffolk prosecutors said.

Bernardini's attorney, Anthony La Pinta of Hauppauge, said accepting the plea bargain was "an extremely difficult decision for Dr. Bernardini because we were equipped with many persuasive facts and powerful arguments for trial."

"The dismissal of all other charges was the tipping point to accepting the plea," La Pinta said Wednesday.