To the 12 victims of Dr. Jeffrey Abrams — the women and child patients who he molested and intimately photographed — justice doesn’t necessarily mean a long prison sentence.

It means preventing him from hurting another patient ever again. For him to be stripped of his ability to practice medicine and to be shamed as a sex offender for life.

On Friday, the victims deemed justice served.

Abrams, 68, was sentenced to a year of house arrest, five years probation and 200 hours of community service.


El Cajon Superior Court Judge Laura Halgren noted the vulnerability of the victims, and the great position of trust they placed in Abrams as their doctor.

“The charges are extremely serious and would result in most instances a significant prison term,” Halgren said.

She considered several factors before deciding not to impose any time behind bars — most importantly that the victims weren’t demanding it.

The judge agreed with the deal worked out by Deputy District Attorney Kerry Conway, defense attorney Alex Landon and the victims. It holds that Abrams give up his medical license and register as a sex offender.


Abrams’ serious health conditions stemming from kidney cancer were also considered. The victims felt strongly that they did not want taxpayers to bear the burden of his medical care in prison, said Jessica Pride, an attorney representing 10 of the victims.

The fact that Abrams pleaded guilty early on in the case, sparing the victims from having to testify, also helped.

He pleaded guilty to 12 counts — one for each victim. The charges included eight counts of sexual penetration of an unconscious person, three counts of sexual battery and one count of child pornography, involving pictures of an 8-year-old girl.

The encounters were described by prosecutors as “unnecessary and inappropriate” vaginal exams at the Volunteers of Medicine clinic in El Cajon, sometimes without gloves. He was accused of asking patients to let him take photographs of their intimate parts for teaching purposes. Hundreds such photos were found on his cellphone, authorities said.


No victims were present in court; they were instead represented by two attorneys, Pride and Steve Ganu.

“It took great courage on behalf of these women to come forward and now their voices were heard,” Pride said outside the courtroom. “They made a profound difference and now Dr. Abrams will never practice medicine again.”

Abrams declined to give a statement to the judge before the sentence was pronounced.

If Abrams violates the terms of his probation, he faces 25 years and eight months in prison — the maximum sentence allowed.