Deion Garcia (FOX 10 file photo)
CHANDLER, Ariz. - A former Chandler dental assistant was sentenced to 40 years in prison for sexually abusing three young children under his care on Friday.
What we know:
Deion Garcia, 29, pleaded guilty to multiple felony charges, including attempted child molestation and sexual conduct with a minor, stemming from abuse that occurred at Kidiatric Dental & Orthodontics. Authorities said Garcia exploited his position to abuse victims between the ages of 4 and 6 during routine dental procedures and while patients were under anesthesia. Following his prison term, Garcia will be placed on lifetime supervised probation.
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Ex-dental assistant pleads guilty to child sex crimes
Police say Deion Garcia inappropriately touched and photographed children while working at a Chandler dental office. Garcia is scheduled to be sentenced in June.
The backstory:
The investigation began in May 2024 when Chandler Police responded to a report of sexual abuse at the dental office, located near Arizona Avenue and Chandler Heights Road. The parents of a 6-year-old girl contacted police after the child asked them if it was a normal part of an X-ray scan for someone to touch and massage her. Investigators later discovered Garcia had inappropriately touched the victim and taken photos of her during the exam.
As detectives continued to investigate Garcia, they connected him to a prior incident from September 2022 involving another 6-year-old girl who was also abused during an X-ray exam. A subsequent forensic search of Garcia’s cellphone uncovered explicit images of a third victim, a 4-year-old girl, who was under anesthesia at the time the abuse took place.
Garcia, who was originally facing 14 felony counts following his arrest in May 2024, ultimately 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 four counts are classified as dangerous crimes against children.
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What they're saying:
"This defendant was trusted with the care of vulnerable children during routine dental procedures, and he exploited that trust for his own sexual gratification," said Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell after the July 17 sentencing. "I commend the work of the Chandler Police Department and sex crimes prosecutor Anshika Mehrotra in securing justice for these victims. This 40-year sentence reflects the seriousness of his crimes."
The Source: Information in this report was gathered from the Maricopa County Attorney's Office and Maricopa County Superior Court records.