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The sentence concerns dozens of former pediatric patients in Frederick County and highlights how authorities handle abuse by medical professionals.
A former Frederick, Maryland, pediatrician has been ordered to serve 30 years in state prison after a jury found he sexually abused an 11-year-old patient during a pediatric exam. Judge William R.
Nicklas sentenced 74-year-old Ernesto Cesar Torres on 8 December 2025 in Frederick County Circuit Court following his March conviction for sexual abuse of a minor and three counts of third-degree sex offense.
Prosecutors say the 2019 complaint that triggered the case led investigators to identify more than two dozen additional young female patients as potential victims over a period of nearly 40 years.
The case matters beyond one doctor and one practice. It illustrates how mandatory-reporting rules, child-advocacy interviews and professional discipline processes are used when abuse is alleged in a medical setting.
Maryland’s Sex Abuse of a Minor statute and related felony sex-offense provisions govern charges against adults who exploit children, including professionals in positions of trust.
Recent state reforms, such as a 2013 law that upgraded certain “position of authority” sexual offenses to felonies and a 2023 law ending the civil statute of limitations for child sex-abuse lawsuits, show how lawmakers have tightened protections for survivors over time.
According to court records and a statement from the Frederick County State’s Attorney’s Office, the case began in May 2019 when the mother of an 11-year-old girl reported that her child was inappropriately touched during an exam for a mild skin condition at Torres’ office.
The girl later described in a forensic interview how Torres put his hand inside her pants and touched her genital area while also kissing and rubbing her stomach.
The Frederick Police Department referred the case to Child Protective Services and the county’s Child Advocacy Center, where specially trained interviewers spoke with the child in line with Maryland’s multi-agency protocols for suspected abuse.
Torres was arrested at his practice shortly afterward, and licensure documents from the Maryland Board of Physicians show his medical license was summarily suspended in June 2019 and later rendered inactive.
As investigators reviewed prior patient encounters, the State’s Attorney’s Office reported that Torres faced more than 97 criminal counts tied to dozens of juvenile patients, with alleged misconduct occurring between 1980 and 2018.
In the current case, he received credit for 2,087 days already spent in custody since his 2019 arrest, meaning nearly five years will be deducted from the 30-year term.
Frederick County State’s Attorney Charlie Smith called Torres’ conduct “bold” and “brazen,” stressing that some assaults occurred during appointments while parents were in the room, believing they were watching routine abdominal exams.
In a written statement, Smith praised the persistence of the lead victim and prosecutors and said the defendant’s comments at sentencing about “demonic entities” and false accusations were among the most disturbing he had heard in court.
The press release notes that Torres’ March 2025 conviction was based on one child’s case, but prosecutors intend to bring additional trials for other identified victims and will seek consecutive sentences where possible.
Separate reporting shows this was at least Torres’ second significant sentencing for sexual misconduct; he previously received a prison term in a different case involving an older teenage patient, underscoring the pattern identified by authorities.
Local coverage from multiple outlets has prompted strong reactions from families in Frederick County, some of whom say they are reviewing past medical visits or seeking counseling for their children.
Survivor-advocacy groups note that public discussion of cases like Torres’ can encourage others with similar experiences to report, even years later.
For parents and caregivers, the case highlights how difficult it can be to detect abuse when it occurs in a setting that usually commands trust, such as a pediatric office.
National guidance from the American Academy of Pediatrics states that any sexual contact between health-care providers and pediatric patients is abusive and unethical, regardless of whether the conduct is framed as part of an exam.
Families should know they can ask for a parent, guardian or designated chaperone to remain in the room during sensitive examinations.
Many hospitals and large health systems now have formal chaperone policies, and professional bodies encourage smaller private practices to adopt similar safeguards.
The Torres case also underlines how important it is to act on a child’s discomfort. Maryland law allows anyone who suspects child abuse to make a report, and certain professionals, including doctors, nurses, teachers and social workers must report suspected abuse to authorities.
A report does not require proof; a reasonable suspicion is enough to trigger a joint assessment by child-protective services and law enforcement.
Federal data compiled by the U.S. Children’s Bureau show that an estimated 558,899 children were confirmed victims of abuse and neglect nationwide in 2022, with about 10.6% of those cases involving sexual abuse.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that roughly one in four girls and one in 13 boys will experience some form of sexual abuse by age 18, and in about 90% of cases the perpetrator is known to the child or family.
Maryland has been tightening its legal framework around sexual abuse for years.
Senate Bill 657, passed in 2013, reclassified certain sexual acts between a “person in a position of authority” and a minor from a misdemeanor to a felony-level third-degree sex offense and removed a three-year statute of limitations for those crimes.
More recently, the state’s 2023 Child Victims Act eliminated the civil statute of limitations for child sex-abuse lawsuits, a measure the Maryland Supreme Court upheld in February 2025, allowing survivors to sue institutions and individuals regardless of when abuse occurred.
Researchers examining Maryland’s sex-offender registry have also documented how the state has gradually expanded registration and notification requirements since the early 2000s, including for offenders convicted before some of the current laws were in place.
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Maryland residents who suspect a child is being abused can contact local law enforcement or their county Department of Social Services; both routes can trigger a Child Protective Services investigation.
The Maryland Judiciary and state agencies provide online listings of local reporting numbers, and calls can often be made anonymously.
The Frederick County State’s Attorney’s Office maintains a Victims and Witnesses page with information about how to reach prosecutors, victim advocates and the Child Advocacy Center.
Members of the public can also search the Maryland Sex Offender Registry online to review whether a person has a qualifying conviction and to see court and supervision details, including lifetime registration requirements for certain offenses.
Families who have questions about past care from Torres can contact Frederick Police or the State’s Attorney’s Office; officials have said they are still willing to review new complaints despite the length of his current sentence.
The Frederick County State’s Attorney’s Office has stated that it intends to prosecute additional cases involving other identified victims, seeking consecutive sentences where appropriate.
Those cases must still move through routine criminal procedures, including charging, pretrial motions and potential trials or plea hearings.
Torres will continue serving his sentence in state custody while any new cases are prepared.
Any further convictions would be subject to Maryland’s sentencing rules and could be structured to run one after another, rather than at the same time, as prosecutors have requested.
This case centers on a pediatrician who abused the authority and trust attached to his medical role, impacting children and families who relied on him for care.
It is significant for parents, young patients and health-care professionals because it shows how misconduct can persist in clinical settings if concerns are not reported or acted on quickly.
The sentencing also sits within a broader shift in Maryland toward stronger laws for child sexual abuse and greater access to civil remedies.
As further cases proceed, the public will be able to see how courts apply those laws and what additional safeguards health systems and regulators put in place to prevent similar abuse.
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