Trial comes to conclusion:
A prominent Woodland dentist who once had it all – a thriving practice, loyal patients, a big house and high standing in his church – saw his fortunes crumble Tuesday as Yolo County jurors convicted him of a dozen counts of sexual battery for molesting female patients.
Mark Anderson, 49, was allowed to leave the courthouse on his own recognizance, pending sentencing April 24. He could receive 14 years in state prison.
As Anderson walked away with his wife and children beside him, he was asked what he had to say to his victims: "There were none," he said.
It was his only comment on the trial's outcome.
Anderson's defense at trial was that he had touched the women's chests as treatment for TMJ, or temporomandibular joint disorder, a painful jaw condition.
But some women who testified at trial described Anderson reaching into their bras and making comments about their breasts.
Two victims spoke with reporters outside the courthouse, saying they were pleased with the verdicts but angered that Judge Stephen Mock had allowed Anderson to go home Tuesday.
In an impromptu press conference, the women identified themselves and spoke candidly about their reaction.
Tanya McKay, 37, and Candis Barajas, 30, said Anderson had violated their trust and used his patients' vulnerability in the dental chair for his own sexual gratification.
"He used his status to take advantage of all of us," said Barajas, a patient of Anderson's until he groped her at a dental appointment. "He's a habitual predator and he's done it for years."
She said she felt sorry for Anderson's family, but "it was all his doing."
...After court, [Deputy District Attorney] Gorman said the jurors had been conscientious and thorough.
They had found that Anderson had fondled his patients with his bare hands and told them it was all part of treatment, Gorman said.
"It's not dentistry," the prosecutor said. "As this jury found, it's felony sexual battery under false pretenses."
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