NM Leon
New member
Unfortunately this ^%$#$%^& is 75 years old and there's probably not enough left of his lifetime to give him the punishment he so richly deserves.
By Dana Yates
A well-known San Mateo psychiatrist was arrested yesterday after a year-long investigation into allegations he molested young patients for four decades.
Dr. William Ayres, 75, was arrested at his San Mateo home at approximately 6 p.m. yesterday on 14 counts of lewd and lascivious acts with a child under the age of 14. He was booked into San Mateo County Jail where his bail was set at $1.5 million, said San Mateo police Capt. Mike Callagy.
The 14 counts relate to “several” patients who saw Ayres between 1988 and 2005. There are “numerous” victims who saw Ayres before 1988, but he cannot be charged for those alleged crimes because they are beyond the statue of limitations. The U.S. Supreme Court ruling making 1988 the cutoff for the statute of limitations was decided in 2003, when San Mateo police were already investigating one allegation against Ayres.
Ayres was once a highly regarded psychiatrist. He is the past president of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and served on the Children and Families First Commission of San Mateo County.
The San Mateo County Board of Supervisors passed a resolution in honor of Ayres’ service to the commission in 2002, just before he resigned from the organization.
“This is an unprecedented case [in San Mateo] because it’s taken place over several decades,” Callagy said.
In 2002, a victim reported the alleged abuse to the San Mateo Police Department. He told police he was abused by Ayres while being treated as a teenager in the 1970s. He told police he was molested multiple times by Ayres. While investigating the allegation, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled the statue of limitations spans to 1988, leaving police without an opportunity to charge Ayres.
The victim pursued a civil case against Ayres and settled out of court in July, 2005. The case drew media attention and resulted in numerous other victims coming forward to report sexual abuse by Ayres, Callagy said.
Based on the number of reported cases, San Mateo police obtained a search warrant allowing investigators to seize more than 800 names of patients. The search warrant was executed on March 10, 2006 at Ayres home and storage locker. Working with the California Department of Justice, investigators spent the last year tracking down former patients to determine if they were victimized by Ayres, Callagy said.
The case remains active. Former patients who feel they were victimized by Ayres are encouraged to call Callagy at 522-7652.
“This case highlights the fact that even the trusted adults in your child’s life can perpetrate crimes against children. We encourage all parents to keep open lines of communication with their children,” Callagy said.
By Dana Yates
A well-known San Mateo psychiatrist was arrested yesterday after a year-long investigation into allegations he molested young patients for four decades.
Dr. William Ayres, 75, was arrested at his San Mateo home at approximately 6 p.m. yesterday on 14 counts of lewd and lascivious acts with a child under the age of 14. He was booked into San Mateo County Jail where his bail was set at $1.5 million, said San Mateo police Capt. Mike Callagy.
The 14 counts relate to “several” patients who saw Ayres between 1988 and 2005. There are “numerous” victims who saw Ayres before 1988, but he cannot be charged for those alleged crimes because they are beyond the statue of limitations. The U.S. Supreme Court ruling making 1988 the cutoff for the statute of limitations was decided in 2003, when San Mateo police were already investigating one allegation against Ayres.
Ayres was once a highly regarded psychiatrist. He is the past president of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and served on the Children and Families First Commission of San Mateo County.
The San Mateo County Board of Supervisors passed a resolution in honor of Ayres’ service to the commission in 2002, just before he resigned from the organization.
“This is an unprecedented case [in San Mateo] because it’s taken place over several decades,” Callagy said.
In 2002, a victim reported the alleged abuse to the San Mateo Police Department. He told police he was abused by Ayres while being treated as a teenager in the 1970s. He told police he was molested multiple times by Ayres. While investigating the allegation, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled the statue of limitations spans to 1988, leaving police without an opportunity to charge Ayres.
The victim pursued a civil case against Ayres and settled out of court in July, 2005. The case drew media attention and resulted in numerous other victims coming forward to report sexual abuse by Ayres, Callagy said.
Based on the number of reported cases, San Mateo police obtained a search warrant allowing investigators to seize more than 800 names of patients. The search warrant was executed on March 10, 2006 at Ayres home and storage locker. Working with the California Department of Justice, investigators spent the last year tracking down former patients to determine if they were victimized by Ayres, Callagy said.
The case remains active. Former patients who feel they were victimized by Ayres are encouraged to call Callagy at 522-7652.
“This case highlights the fact that even the trusted adults in your child’s life can perpetrate crimes against children. We encourage all parents to keep open lines of communication with their children,” Callagy said.
