Dr. Jeffrey Joel Abrams, 67, pleaded guilty July 30 to 10 felony charges involving sexual battery of female patients at an El Cajon clinic where he used to work.
Abrams pleaded guilty to eight counts of digital penetration, three counts of sexual battery, and one charge of possession of cellphone photos he took of a patient who was a minor, said Deputy District Attorney Kerry Conway.
Dr. Jeffrey Joel Abrams, 67, pleaded guilty July 30 to 10 felony charges involving sexual battery of female patients at an El Cajon clinic where he used to work.
Abrams pleaded guilty to eight counts of digital penetration, three counts of sexual battery, and one charge of possession of cellphone photos he took of a patient who was a minor, said Deputy District Attorney Kerry Conway.
Abrams faces a long range in a sentence—25 years and eight months in prison, a lesser term in county jail, or probation, said Conway.
El Cajon Superior Court Judge Laura Halgren set sentencing for Sept. 18. Abrams remains free on $1.5 million bond. His attorney could not be reached for comment.
Abrams was to have faced a 2-day preliminary hearing this week in which former patients were going to testify that he allegedly took nude photos of them with his cellphone and sexually harassed them. He examined them all at the Volunteers in Medicine clinic, but he was suspended from working there in Nov. 2014.
Conway said she filed 36 counts against Abrams, and 26 charges will be dismissed because he pleaded guilty to 10 counts. He may not get a long sentence in part because of his age and health conditions.
Teacher’s aide released from jail, with conditions
A Lemon Grove school aide who acted bizarrely when she barricaded herself and several students inside a classroom has been released from jail and was ordered to continue psychiatric treatment under terms of five years probation.
El Cajon Superior Court Judge Daniel Goldstein gave Linda Lira, 31, credit for spending 241 days in jail including time off for good behavior on July 24. The judge barred her from working around children.
The incident occurred March 25 at the Lemon Grove Academy, at 7885 Golden Avenue. Lira began acted bizarrely, and barricaded herself and at least three children in a classroom by upending desks, throwing things throughout the room, and talking about demons outside.
She also undressed and redressed several times, and the children were frightened. Lira pleaded guilty June 25 to felony child endangerment to two children, and misdemeanor battery to an employee. The sentence also includes a 52-week child abuse course that she must take.
She could have received a maximum term of seven years and four months in prison.
Lemon Grove man to stand trial for murder
Samuel Godinez, 37, of Lemon Grove, was ordered July 28 to stand trial for the May 16 murder of Christopher Gillette, 33, shot in the head in a residence in the 8200 block of El Paso St. in La Mesa.
The two were acquaintances but a motive for the shooting was not addressed in the preliminary hearing in El Cajon Superior Court. Judge Enrique Camarena set a trial date for Sept. 14 and Godinez pleaded not guilty. He remains in jail on $2 million bail.
