111 Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd.
White Plains, NY 10601
Tel: (914) 995-3586
Fax: (914) 995-2116
Jan. 9, 2013 -- Westchester County District Attorney Janet DiFiore announced that Mark Bernardini DOB (03/17/56) of 955 Peach Lake Road, North Salem, New York pled guilty today to:
- one count of Criminal Sexual Act in the First Degree, a class “B” Violent Felony,
- one count of Forcible Touching, a class “A” Misdemeanor,
relating to two separate incidents with two different victims.
On May 16, 2013, the defendant, a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW), inappropriately touched a 19 year old woman that he was counseling at his home office in North Salem.
The victim told her parents who contacted the New York State Police.
On July 2, 2013, at his office located at 27 Milburn Street in Bronxville, the defendant engaged in sexual contact with a 12 year old boy that he was counseling.
The victim cried out to his family after the session and they immediately contacted the Bronxville police.
The defendant was arrested outside of his office later that day by the Bronxville police.
“The courage displayed by both young victims in this case in immediately alerting their parents to what had transpired allowed police and prosecutors to quickly determine the predatory behavior of this defendant. He used his position of trust and authority to target and take advantage of his unsuspecting victims and instead of helping them with their vulnerabilities, he exploited them,” said District Attorney Janet DiFiore.
The defendant was remanded.
Sentencing will be on Feb. 19, 2014.
He faces a maximum sentence of twenty five years in state prison and fifteen years post release supervision.
Upon his release he will have to register as a sex offender under the provisions of Megan’s Law.
Assistant District Attorney Amy Puerto of the Special Prosecutions Division is prosecuting the case.
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