Thomas Frieden, Former CDC Chief, Arrested on Sexual Abuse Charges

A woman told police in July that Frieden groped her in his Brooklyn apartment in October 2017.

Written bySukanya Charuchandra
| 1 min read

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Thomas Frieden, previously the New York City Health Commissioner and director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, surrendered to the New York Police Department’s Special Victims Unit this morning (August 24) on charges of sexual harassment.

According to The Washington Post, a New York police spokeswoman says, “He was arrested for forcible touching, for sexual abuse and harassment, for touching her buttocks without permission.” Frieden will likely face a second-degree charge of harassment, third-degree count of sex abuse, and one count of forcible touching in the Brooklyn Criminal Court, reports CNN.

The woman in question was known to Frieden and the incident happened in his Brooklyn Heights apartment on October 20, 2017. She filed a report in July.

Former President Barack Obama appointed Frieden as head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in 2009. He led the organization for eight years until January 2017 when ...

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