Hospital worker gets 12 years for sex assault of patient
PLAINSBORO » Middlesex County Prosecutor Andrew C. Carey announced Wednesday that a patient care technician from University Medical Center of Princeton in Plainsboro has been sentenced to serve 12 years of incarceration in state prison subject to the No Early Release Act. As such, Richard Smith, 42, will have to serve 85 percent of 12 years in state prison before becoming eligible for parole.
In addition, Superior Court Judge Diane Pincus, sitting in New Brunswick, ordered Smith to register as a sex offender under Megan’s Law and advised that Smith will be placed on parole supervision for life upon his release.
Smith was sentenced on July 21. He pleaded guilty on March 1, 2017, to two counts of first-degree aggravated sexual assault.
Under a plea agreement reached with Middlesex County Assistant Prosecutor Falguni Patel, the defendant admitted he digitally penetrated two victims while acting as their patient care technician. Smith admitted that the first incident occurred while he was employed at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital and the second incident occurred during his employment at the University Medical Center of Princeton at Plainsboro.
Smith was arrested and charged on Nov. 18, 2015, following an investigation by Detective Deon McCall of the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office and Detective Daniel Kanaley of the Plainsboro Police Department.