CHANDLER, Ariz. — A Chandler dental assistant who was arrested for allegedly molesting child patients during x-ray exams has been indicted on multiple charges stemming from the accusations.
Deion Garcia, 27, was taken into custody on May 10 after children accused him of inappropriately touching them during a dental appointment at an office near Chandler Heights Road and Arizona Avenue.
Garcia was indicted by a grand jury, Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell announced on May 23. He is facing 11 counts of sexual exploitation of a minor and one count of molestation of a child — both class two felonies.
VERSIÓN EN ESPAÑOL: Asistente dental acusado de acosar sexualmente a pacientes infantiles durante exámenes de rayos X en Chandler
"Child abuse by a trusted adult is every parent’s worst nightmare," Mitchell said as part of a press release. "The three victims in this case have been scarred for life and we must now seek justice for them to the fullest extent of the law."
Court records show a 6-year-old girl told Chandler police that Garcia allegedly pulled her shorts down, touched her and then took photos of her on his cell phone. Another girl claimed the suspect committed similar actions to them in September 2022.
During the investigation, police found evidence of a possible third child victim who may have been abused by Garcia.
Records show police allegedly found photos of the victims on the suspect's cell phone.
Records show that Garcia has apparently worked at the East Valley dental office for at least two years. It is still unknown how many child patients may have been harmed by the suspect.
Chandler police said the case remains under investigation.
Garcia is presumed innocent until he is found guilty. His trial is set for Sept. 19, 2024.
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What is the Valley?:
“The Valley” is what locals call the Phoenix Metropolitan Area. It is considered the largest metropolitan area in the Southwest.
The Valley is made up of various major cities other than Phoenix, including:
- Mesa
- Chandler
- Scottsdale
- Tempe
- Glendale
- Surprise
- Peoria
- Gilbert
- El Mirage
- Avondale
- Litchfield Park
- Goodyear
- Buckeye
Whether a city is in the “East Valley” or “West Valley” depends on where it is in relation to Phoenix.
The cities of the Valley have a combined population of 4,845,832 people, according to the 2020 United States Census. This makes it the 11th largest metropolitan area in the country right behind the Boston and Atlanta areas.
How big is Maricopa County?
Maricopa County is the United States’ 4th largest county in terms of population with 4,485,414 people, according to the 2020 Census.
The county contains around 63% of Arizona’s population and is 9,224 square miles. That makes the county larger than seven U.S. states (Rhode Island, Delaware, Connecticut, Hawaii, New Jersey, Massachusetts and New Hampshire).
One of the largest park systems in the nation is also located in Maricopa County. The county has an estimated 120,000 acres of open space parks that includes hundreds of miles of trails, nature centers and campgrounds.
The county’s seat is located in Phoenix, which is also the state capital and the census-designated 5th most populous city in the United States.
The county was named after the Maricopa, or Piipaash, Native American Tribe.