Facing up to seven years in prison for groping women patients possibly for four decades, a Torrance podiatrist walked away from court a free man Thursday after a judge sentenced him to 365 days of community service and five years on probation.

Although 70-year-old Arnold Serkin must register as a sex offender for the rest of his life, enroll in 52 weeks of sexual offender counseling and will lose his license to practice, the fact that he was not handcuffed and taken to county jail or prison disappointed a prosecutor and at least one victim.

“In my heart of hearts, I knew they wouldn’t send him (to jail) because of his age,” the victim said. “That’s the reality of it. It’s too bad he doesn’t just apologize to all of us. He’s a sick puppy.”

Emotional hearing

During an emotional sentencing hearing in Torrance Superior Court, Serkin stood and spoke, but did not face his victims in the audience. He did not directly address the sexual assault charges against him, even after five women described for Judge Steven Van Sicklen how he either groped them or ogled their bodies when they sought treatment for foot ailments.

“I am very sorry for what has occurred,” said Serkin, a Rancho Palos Verdes resident. “I am very humbled by this experience. I have devoted my entire life to helping people.”

Attorneys were supposed to pick a jury for Serkin’s trial this week, but the physician surprised his victims when he pleaded no contest Wednesday to the charges against him — four counts of sexual battery by fraud involving four women over a 10-year period.

But five additional women who sought treatment from Serkin beginning in the 1970s were expected to testify during the trial, describing how Serkin touched their breasts, hips and pubic areas or asked them to take off their blouses during what were supposed to be examinations of their feet.

“He knew we would eat him alive with a jury,” the victim said. “He has no remorse. Sociopaths have no remorse.”

Faced up to 7 years

Serkin faced a sentence Thursday ranging from probation to seven years in prison for the four charged crimes, a decision that was up to Van Sicklen.

In court, Deputy District Attorney Maren Dermody, Torrance police Detective Lucas Ryono and five victims each spoke, trying to influence Van Sicklen to impose a tough sentence.

Ryono, a sex crimes investigator, said he talked to at least 13 of Serkin’s patients who complained that he sexually exploited them during the past 45 years.

“I’ve seen them cry. I’ve seen the pain and trauma that Serkin has caused,” Ryono said.

Another victim, who sparked the criminal investigation four years ago when she filed a civil lawsuit against Serkin, said she suffered fear, humiliation, embarrassment and shock when she was a patient of Serkin’s.

“I remained in the room with him because I was taught to believe what doctors do is to help you,” she said, pausing to cry. “Although I did not feel it was appropriate, I did not know. I did not know the scope of his field and what he needed to examine. I did not speak up because I was so uncomfortable and so overwhelmed by what was happening to me.”

The woman said she no longer can see male doctors and has trouble sleeping and severe anxiety. Speaking in court with a service dog sitting next to her, she said her marriage failed.

‘This needs to be heard’

“Being violated by a sexual predator changes your life, and there could be people who could come up here and say he’s a wonderful man, but those people were not violated by him and they don’t know what it feels like or how hard this makes your life,” she said. “I am here because this needs to be heard and this needs to be seen and I need this to heal.”

Another woman who formerly was friends with Serkin said he asked her to strip naked when she sought treatment for a foot problem. He stood and ogled her, she said.

“I have been living with this for 42 years,” she said. “It has really affected me. Every time I see him, I shake.”

Another victim described how Serkin asked her to remove her blouse and bra during a doctor visit so he could check her hips and shoulder alignment.

“He asked me to turn around. I couldn’t look him in the face,” she said. “I knew something was wrong. I didn’t know why he was doing it. He was a doctor, there was a reason. I was embarrassed. I was ashamed.”

The woman said she kept the encounter from her husband for 20 years, and stayed angry about it for 30.

“What he did to me was mild compared to the other victims,” she said. “He didn’t touch me. He looked, and there was no reason to do that. I thought I was the only one and apparently I’m not.”

Dermody read two letters, one from Serkin’s daughter and another from his sister, both of whom accused him of molesting them as children. Prosecutors charged Serkin with molesting his daughter, but jurors deadlocked 11-1 last year in favor of acquitting him. The case was dismissed.

“My father is a serious sex offender,” his daughter wrote. “I mean my father no ill will … but he needs to spend some time in jail.”

‘Good, decent upright life’

Several of Serkin’s friends and family members attended the proceedings to support him. Twenty-four letters written on his behalf were submitted to the judge.

Serkin’s attorney, Mark Werksman, called Serkin a “good family man” and “a loyal friend” who “led a good, decent, upright life with the exception of the acts committed in this case.”

In encouraging the judge to impose probation, Werksman said Serkin had lost his license, was financially devastated, would not enjoy a comfortable retirement and would be known as a convicted sex offender.

“He will leave this courtroom disgraced,” Werksman said. “If you send him to jail at his age and his condition with this charge, it will be a blow to him that he might never recover from.”

Werksman said Serkin could teach and work with seniors, and lead a “good and productive life.”

In his own moment to speak, Serkin said he tried to be a good father, husband and friend, and wanted to be a good citizen.

“I am going to be 71 years old,” he said. “I am going to try to help as many people as I can.”

‘Character destroyed’

Van Sicklen said he took the victims’ statements and letters from Serkin’s side into consideration in deciding the sentence. He said putting Serkin in prison or jail might make it difficult for the civil case to come to trial.

“His reputation, his character in the community has been destroyed,” the judge said. “That is significant to him and to his friends and his family, and members of his church will think differently of him.”

Van Sicklen said he took jail overcrowding measures into consideration, suspecting that sending Serkin to county jail could result in a quick release.

“He might be home earlier than I am home tonight if he were to receive a county jail sentence given his age and lack of a record,” the judge said, adding that five years on probation was significant.

“If he violates in any way, he will go to prison,” he said.

Dermody said she was disappointed the judge did not impose jail time, considering the crimes occurred over decades,but she was grateful the court and public was “finally able to see him for who he is, and that’s a sexual predator.”