A judge rejected jail Jan. 19 for a 75-year-old South Bay psychiatrist who had pleaded guilty to felony sexual contact with seven female patients, and instead imposed one year of house arrest.
Because of health and age issues, Dr. Leon Fajerman was ordered to pay $300 per month in restitution to victims plus a fine of approximately $1,500.
“You must register as a sex offender for life,” said Chula Vista Superior Court Judge Francis Devaney.
Fajerman was permitted to make four weekly walks for exercise outside his El Cajon home and is barred from drinking alcohol on terms of three years probation, even in his home.
Devaney said he imposed house arrest because his attorney presented medical documents detailing his heart condition, early onset of Alzheimer’s disease, and osteoarthritis.
“It’s very difficult to me to place a man with those conditions in actual jail,” said Devaney.
Fajerman treated his patients at offices in Chula Vista, San Ysidro, El Cajon, and San Diego for the last 39 years. The misconduct allegations first surfaced in 2016, and he withdrew his license to practice medicine in 2017 when the state medical board began proceedings to revoke his license.
Fajerman said nothing in court other than agreeing to accept terms of probation. He was barred from ever acting as a therapist again, and ordered to continue his own therapy with a counselor.
“I think it’s too lenient a sentence,” said attorney Jessica Pride, who represents three former patients, afterwards. “We think he should have gone to prison.” Devaney will review his sentence at an April 8 hearing. It has been illegal in California since 1990 for a psychiatrist to have sexual relations with a patient.
Prison was ruled out in a plea bargain Oct. 22 when he pleaded guilty to felony sexual contact with seven patients and misdemeanor sexual battery.
