San Diego Dental Assistant Pleads Guilty To Sexually Assaulting 13 Sedated Girls

SAN DIEGO, CA- A San Diego dental assistant pleaded guilty Wednesday to sexually assaulting 13 girls and women while they were sedated. Luis Ramos, who worked at Park Boulevard Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery in University Heights, will be sentenced Aug. 26 and faces up to 15 years in prison.

He pleaded guilty at a preliminary hearing Wednesday at the San Diego County Courthouse, Deputy District Attorney Martin Doyle tells Patch.

"They're relieved to have this over," Doyle said of the victims in the case, following Wednesday's plea. "A lot of them were scared and frightened to testify, and they're pleased that Mr. Ramos won't be out there doing that to someone else."

Ramos, 36, was arrested in February for allegedly molesting a 17-year-old female patient who was under anesthesia. Deputy District Attorney Martin Doyle said Ramos touched the girl's breasts for about seven minutes while he was alone with her and put his face in her chest.

As authorities investigated the case, the extent of his actions became more clear.

After reviewing more than 500 hours of surveillance footage from the dental office, 24 more charges were brought against him in March, including felony sexual penetration and misdemeanor sexual battery, for acts spanning from January 2015 through January 2016 involving women ages 17 to 62.

Ramos was facing up to 17 years in prison prior to Wednesday's plea.

"Mr. Ramos didn't get much of a deal out of our office," Doyle said. "He wasn't the kind of defendant that we would bend over backwards to give a deal."

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City News Service contributed reporting. Image via Shutterstock.