A former dental assistant in Arizona was sentenced to 40 years in prison after he admitted to sexually abusing several minor patients during X-ray exams at a children’s dental office.
The Maricopa County Attorney’s Office announced in a news release on Friday, July 17, that Deion Garcia learned his sentence after he pleaded guilty to multiple felony charges, including attempted molestation of a child and sexual conduct with a minor.
The statement also revealed that Garcia, 29, will receive lifetime supervised probation for his crimes.
The investigation into Garcia was launched in May 2024 after a parent of one of his victims reported him for sexual abuse while he was working as a dental assistant at a children’s dental office in Chandler, Arizona.
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The office has since been identified as Kidiatric Dental & Orthodontics, according to Arizona’s Family.
The parent of the 6-year-old girl reported Garcia to Chandler police and claimed that he had “inappropriately touched the victim” and “taken inappropriate photos of her” while administering an X-ray exam, according to the attorney’s office.
Investigators then connected the incident with a previous situation that took place in September 2022. At the time, a different 6-year-old patient was allegedly sexually abused during an X-ray exam.
Investigators also learned that Garcia had “multiple inappropriate images of a 4-year-old victim” on his phone. The attorney’s office said that the victim in the photos was under anesthesia when Garcia allegedly abused them.
Following his arrest, Garcia pleaded guilty to one count of attempted molestation of a child, one count of sexual conduct with a minor and two counts of attempted sexual exploitation of a minor. All of the counts he was convicted of are deemed to be dangerous crimes against children.
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It is not currently clear when Garcia stopped working at the Chandler dental office and the circumstances of how his employment came to an end.
Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell said in a statement shared in the release that Garcia “was trusted with the care of vulnerable children during routine dental procedures, and he exploited that trust for his own sexual gratification.”
“I commend the work of the Chandler Police Department and sex crimes prosecutor Anshika Mehrotra in securing justice for these victims,” Mitchell added. “This 40-year sentence reflects the seriousness of his crimes.”
Parents, teachers, and guardians interested in learning more about protecting children from exploitation can find useful tools and information at Know2Protect.
