News 12 spoke with a former sex crimes prosecutor about Dr. Christine Blasey Ford's sex assault allegations against Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh.

Ford testified under oath Thursday that Kavanaugh sexually assaulted her at a party in the early 1980s.

MORE: Kavanaugh confirmation spills into heated governor's races

Dan Schorr, a former prosecutor for the Westchester County District Attorney's Office and current attorney working in the private sector, says it's often difficult for alleged victims of abuse to come forward.

"Imagine reliving the most traumatic incident in your life and doing it on national television with a lot of people having a big stake in discrediting you," he says. "Very difficult way to come forward about this."

Fear, retaliation and embarrassment could hold back many victims, Schorr says, forcing them to bury painful memories.

Kavanaugh vehemently denied the allegations against him.

The Senate Judiciary Committee will vote Friday on whether to go forward with Kavanaugh's nomination.