After pleading guilty in July to sexually assaulting and taking naked photographs of female patients, San Diego-area doctor Jeffrey Joel Abrams was sentenced to one year of house arrest on Friday, thus avoided prison time.

Abrams, a doctor at a free clinic, pleaded guilty to eight counts of sexual penetration of an unconscious person, three counts of sexual battery and one count of possession of child pornography, including pictures of an 8-year-old girl. In addition to his year of house arrest, he will serve five years probation with GPS monitoring. He will also have to give up his medical license.

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A pre-sentencing report recommended a nearly 21-year sentencing. Attorney Jessica Pride, who filed a lawsuit on behalf of 10 of Abrams’ 13 anonymous victims which resulted in a confidential settlement, tells PEOPLE that the comparatively light sentence is a result of Abrams failing health, his plea and the lack of testimonies.

“Because he has serious health issues and kidney cancer the judge decided he needs to have access to constant care,” Pride says. “His illnesses requires daily treatment and that would be costly for tax payers.”

None of the 13 victims wanted to testify in the public trial, which received intense media scrutiny. Nonetheless, she said the victims she represented feel good about the outcome.

“My clients feel like justice has been done. They are happy that they were able to take him out of the clinic,” Pride says. “He will no longer be able to victimize another patient again.”

Abrams was arrested in November 2014 after a state investigation found more than 1,300 explicit photos of female patients on his phone. Most of his patients at the free clinic were uninsured.

Pride tells PEOPLE that Abrams preyed on low-income victims who were reluctant to come forward because they feared losing their access to health care. But once the first victim came forward, others felt emboldened to do the same.

“Even though he won’t be in jail for the rest of his life, Jane Doe 1 has made a significant difference in the lives of so many victims.”