After Sugar Daddy Sexual Assault Arrest, Former MPAA Counsel Disbarred in New York

Sep 19, 2023

The former senior executive vice president and global general counsel for the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) has been disbarred in New York, a Los Angeles Times report confirmed. Steven Fabrizio, described by the L.A. Times as “once a high-powered figure in the MPAA,” was disbarred on September 14 following a 2019 arrest on charges of blackmail and sexual abuse.

Fabrizio was then sentenced to 12 months in prison in January 2022. He pleaded guilty to both of the above charges and was ordered to register as a sex offender for 10 years following his release.

The sexual abuse and blackmail charges stem from a sexual relationship Fabrizio entered into with a woman he met through an online “sugar daddy” dating service. The woman reportedly told the Washington D.C. police that after initially having consensual sex with Fabrizio, he threatened to “tell her employer and landlord that she was engaged in sex work unless she continued to have sex with him,” the Los Angeles Times said.

A police report confirmed that Fabrizio texted the woman:

“I know where you live… I know where you work…
Once more tomorrow morning… I’ll never bother you again.”

A state Supreme Court document indicates that Fabrizio admitted to having tried to blackmail the woman he met through a sugar daddy dating site into having sex “once or twice a month.”

“MPAA Chairman and Chief Executive Charles Rivkin subsequently announced that Fabrizio had been fired for violating the terms of his employment,” the Los Angeles Times reported.

Fabrizio has also been disbarred in multiple courts:

• The District of Columbia Court of Appeals
• The Supreme Court of Pennsylvania

In January 2022, around the time of Fabrizio’s sentencing, Deadline reported via federal prosecutors:

“Fabrizio met the woman on Aug. 19, 2019, and they had consensual sex in exchange for $400 in cash. He sought to set up another meeting, but she declined. He then threatened to expose their arrangement to her employer, parents and landlord if she did not agree to have sex with him again. After further texts, the woman agreed to see him, but he sexually abused her, according to prosecutors. As he continued to text her, she then contacted D.C.’s Metropolitan Police Department. He was arrested on Aug. 21.”

Fabrizio reached a plea agreement in July 2021 which entailed:

A sentence of two years in jail (about half of which was suspended)

Three years of supervised release (suspended)

Three years of supervised probation

Registration as a sex offender

Fabrizio studied law at Georgetown University and was admitted to the state bar in June 1989. He had been senior partner at Jenner & Block and was senior vice president of legal and business affairs at the Recording Industry Association of America prior to joining the MPAA.

Dordulian Law Group’s Multi-Million Dollar Sugar Daddy Sexual Assault Settlement

Dordulian Law Group’s (DLG) sexual assault attorneys recently reached an undisclosed multi-million dollar settlement on behalf of a client who was drugged and raped by a man she had met on a sugar daddy dating site. The woman had previously engaged in consensual sex with the defendant, but on a single occasion – when she did not give consent – the man had drugged her. While incapacitated, he raped her. Although the woman initially questioned whether or not a claim could be made via a civil lawsuit, she reached out to DLG. Our founder and president, former sex crimes prosecutor Sam Dordulian, explained to the client the following:

• It doesn’t matter if you first met on a sugar daddy/sugar baby website
• It doesn’t matter if you had a relationship and multiple previous consensual intimate encounters
• It doesn’t matter that this drugging/rape was just a one-time assault and there were no other occurrences

Consent is always mandatory – and it’s important for survivors of sugar daddy sexual assault to remember:

• Despite the fact that there may have been an implied financial arrangement through the initial meeting, rape is never permissible.
• Despite the fact that the survivor may have had a longtime relationship with many intimate interactions, rape is never permissible.
• Rape is rape, and one occurrence is one too many.

The simple fact that the sexual act involving our client occurred when she was drugged and unconscious – regardless of all the other circumstances related to the complicated relationship – means that it qualified as rape, and is therefore a crime. However, many survivors are hesitant to come forward after a sugar daddy sexual assault and are often unaware of their legal rights.

“It’s astounding, but many survivors come to us with the notion that a previous relationship or intimate encounter somehow nullifies an instance of rape. Even if you met on a supposed “sugar daddy” website and had a relationship based on a financial arrangement, that arrangement can never include nonconsensual sex,” DLG’s Sam Dordulian said after securing the multi-million dollar sugar daddy sexual assault settlement.

“We had to ensure that the focus remained on this single occurrence of rape. That’s all that mattered,” Dordulian added.

If you are a survivor of sugar daddy sexual assault, you have options under the law.

Los Angeles Sugar Daddy Sexual Assault Lawsuits

Sexual assault civil lawsuits are an opportunity for survivors to secure justice as well as financial compensation on their own terms. By filing a sugar daddy sexual assault claim, your settlement may include damages for various losses, such as:

• Pain and suffering
• Emotional trauma
• Psychological harm
• Punitive damages
• Counseling and therapy expenses (past and future)
• Any medical treatment (past and future)
• Lost wages
• Inability to continue working/earning a living
• Diminished quality of life

Civil claims, including those involving sugar daddy sexual assault survivors, are often settled confidentially without the plaintiff ever having to testify in court. This was the case with DLG’s recent multi-million dollar sugar daddy settlement.

Los Angeles Sugar Daddy Sexual Assault Lawyers

If you have been the victim of rape, sexual assault, or any other type of sexual violence, contact DLG today by calling 866-GO-SEE-SAM for a free consultation. Our team of dedicated Los Angeles sexual assault attorneys is standing by to help you take the first step towards pursuing justice and recovering the financial damages award that you deserve. Sugar daddy sexual assault survivors have the right to legal recourse – whether you are a victim of rape or another form of sexual assault.
As a survivor, if you are unsure of whether you should file a civil lawsuit for sexual assault, we are available 24/7 to answer all your questions – discretely, professionally, and with the attention and care you deserve.

Our Sexual Assault Justice Experts are here to help survivors secure justice. Contact our top-rated attorneys online or by phone for a free consultation today.

We can help you navigate the legal process if you are uncertain about pursuing a claim. DLG’s four-tiered SAJE Team (Sexual Assault Justice Experts) offers a unique form of legal representation for sugar daddy sexual assault survivors. Contact us today at 866-GO-SEE-SAM to get the justice you deserve.