A 68-year-old El Cajon physician whose license was revoked was sentenced Sept. 25 to one year of house arrest for molesting female patients and taking nude photographs of some patients, a few who were unconscious at the time.
A suspended 25 year, eight month prison term was imposed which Dr. Jeffrey Joel Abrams will not have to serve if he continues satisfactorily on terms of five years probation given by El Cajon Superior Court Judge Laura Halgren.
A 68-year-old El Cajon physician whose license was revoked was sentenced Sept. 25 to one year of house arrest for molesting female patients and taking nude photographs of some patients, a few who were unconscious at the time.
A suspended 25 year, eight month prison term was imposed which Dr. Jeffrey Joel Abrams will not have to serve if he continues satisfactorily on terms of five years probation given by El Cajon Superior Court Judge Laura Halgren.
Abrams has significant medical problems including kidney cancer and one kidney was removed. He gets chronic infections that have to be drained out of his back twice daily with a change of dressings and daily antibiotics. This medical treatment isn’t available in prison or any jail and he also has heart disease.
Surprisingly, 12 victims in the case said through two attorneys they were satisfied with the sentence, given that Abrams lost his medical license and will have to register as a sex offender for life. None of the victims had to testify in open court.
“Justice has been done,” said attorney Jessica Pride afterwards who represents 11 adult women who were molested during their doctor appointments. “They have forgiven him.”
“He will be shunned by all. We do not feel Mr. Abrams should be incarcerated,” said attorney Steve Gnau, who represents the parents of an 8-year-old girl who was not molested, but who was inappropriately photographed by the doctor.
Abrams worked at Volunteers in Medicine, a low-income clinic in El Cajon, and those incidents took place between 2010 and 2014. He left the clinic in Oct. 2014.
Halgren said it was “a highly unusual case” and granted probation and house arrest on several factors. She said she placed “great weight on the victims’ views” that he not be incarcerated, and noted his “ongoing medical condition” would make it almost impossible to be treated in any prison or jail.
Since Abrams will be serving his sentence at home, he gets no jail credits and will have to serve a full year, said the judge. Abrams waived his previous five days credit before he posted $1.5 million bond at the request of Deputy District Attorney Kerry Conway.
Halgren also ordered Abrams to perform 200 hours of volunteer work with a nonprofit organization along with a ban of practicing medicine and associating with minors. A restitution hearing will be held Nov. 18 to determine if he should pay any money to the victims and court fines.
Abrams pleaded guilty to eight counts of digital penetration of women, at least some who were unconscious at the time, along with three counts of sexual battery. He also pleaded guilty to possessing child pornography of patients on his personal cell phone.
Abrams developed infections after his kidney was removed and he has polypropylene mesh over two openings of his chest and back which must be drained and cleaned with a wire brush and antiseptic solution, according to the DA’s office.
His attorney, Alex Landon, said Abrams did not contest his medical license being revoked by the California Medical Board. Landon said he submitted 31 letters of support from family, friends, and former patients, and said, “he is not a danger to the community.”
