Dartmouth Former St. Luke’s Doctor Convicted of Child Rape

FALL RIVER (WBSM) — A Dartmouth man who was formerly a doctor at St. Luke’s Hospital in New Bedford has been convicted child rape and other charges and sentenced to state prison.

According to Bristol County District Attorney Thomas M. Quinn III, Sujan Kayastha, 42, of Dartmouth was convicted on October 22 of rape of a child aggravated by age difference, electronic enticement of a child for commercial sex, possession of child pornography, posing a child in the nude and sending obscene matter to a child.

The conviction came after a jury trial in Fall River Superior Court. Kayastha was sentenced to 12 years in state prison followed by five years of supervised release. He was indicted on the charges in July 2019.

According to the D.A.’s Office, Kayastha first met the victim, a 14-year-old boy, online in September 2018 and later exchanged nude photos and videos with the child, knowing that he was a minor.

Then on December 6, 2018, Kayastha drove to Attleboro, where he picked up the boy from the group home in which he lived. He then drove the boy to the Shangri-La Motel in Seekonk, where he paid the boy $200 to engage in a sex act with him, the D.A.’s Office said.

A staff member at the group home later reported suspected sexual exploitation of the boy to Attleboro Police, who then recovered online records including communications between Kayastha and the victim along with the nude photos and videos that were exchanged.

Kayastha admitted to having sex with the boy. He was later relieved of his duties by St. Luke's Hospital.

“The defendant was convicted of extremely disturbing and demented conduct involving a very vulnerable 14-year-old boy. He preyed on the victim by exchanging pornographic pictures that resulted in the defendant raping the victim in a motel,” D.A. Quinn said. “The sentence imposed by the court was well deserved.”