Arizona Dental Assistant Sentenced for Child Abuse

An Arizona dental assistant has been sentenced to 40 years in prison after pleading guilty to the sexual abuse of three young children while they were anesthetized during dental work, as announced by Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell.

Delon Garcia, 29, who previously worked at Kidiatric Dentistry as an X-ray technician, took advantage of his position to exploit his victims, all of whom were between the ages of 4 and 6. Authorities stated that this abuse occurred during routine dental procedures.

The investigation began in May 2024, triggered by a report from the parents of a 6-year-old girl. They claimed that Garcia had inappropriately touched and photographed their daughter during a dental appointment. Garcia had told the child that staff members liked to take her to another room to “check his teeth,” leading her to a separate location while instructing her mother to stay with her younger brother.

Upon further investigation, detectives found that Garcia did indeed engage in inappropriate behavior toward the girl during the examination.

Moreover, police later connected him to another incident from September 2022 involving a different 6-year-old girl, who also suffered abuse during an X-ray exam.

A forensic analysis of Garcia’s cell phone revealed explicit images linked to a third victim, a 4-year-old girl who was under anesthesia when the abuse occurred.

Garcia faced 14 felony charges following his arrest in May 2024; however, he ultimately pleaded guilty to counts of attempted sexual abuse of a child, sexual activity with a minor, and attempted sexual exploitation of a minor.

“This defendant was trusted to care for vulnerable children during routine dental procedures and abused that trust for his own sexual gratification,” Mitchell remarked following the verdict.

Upon completion of his prison sentence, Garcia will be subject to lifetime supervised probation.