Doctor jailed in US for sexually assaulting 31 children
He was seen as a pillar of the community and used his authority 'as a cloak to feed his own sick desires'
A US paediatrician faces at least 79 years in jail for sexually assaulting 31 children, mostly his patients, in what authorities describe as a “horrendous series of crimes” that stretched over decades.
The majority of the assaults by paediatrician Dr Johnnie Barto, 71, took place in examination rooms at a practice in the town of Johnstown, around 100km east of Pittsburgh, in Pennsylvania.
Earlier this month he was sentenced to between 79 and158 years for the sexual assaults, including charges related to two family members, by Judge Patrick Kiniry.
His victims included girls and boys, many aged eight to 12 years.
