Judge Suspends Therapist’s License
An administrative law judge has suspended the license of a Lancaster psychologist facing felony charges of rape, sexual battery and attempted forcible oral copulation of a client.
Judge Ralph Dash on Friday suspended Charles Catanese’s right to practice after finding that “the public safety would be left at far too great a risk” were Catanese allowed “to have the opportunity to misuse his licensed status.”
Catanese, 42, is accused of raping a county probation officer he was evaluating after she filed a stress claim alleging sexual harassment by a male supervisor.
The incident allegedly occurred Jan. 2, 1992, when the woman, now 38, went to Catanese’s home west of Lancaster for treatment.
Catanese allegedly lured the woman to his home by telling her that he used an unconventional “Christian therapy.”
According to Dash’s suspension order, Catanese told the woman to lie down on his couch to relax and then overpowered her.
The suspension will remain in place until the state Office of Administrative Hearings can evaluate the case and make a recommendation to the state Board of Psychology, which has final say on the matter.
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