A dentist in California known for working on pediatric patients who compete in extreme professional sports has been accused of molesting a boy since he was 4, according to the Office of the District Attorney of Orange County, California.
Dr. Frank Mogavero Jr., 63, who operates Dr. Mogavero Orthodontics in San Diego and Mammoth Lakes, CA, was charged with five felony counts of committing a lewd act on a child under the age of 14 and one felony count of possession of child pornography, according to the district attorney office's press release dated December 5.
Mogavero, of San Clemente, CA, is accused of molesting the boy between January 2013 and July 2020. The first time allegedly occurred when the boy was 4, and the abuse reportedly occurred four other times when the child, who is not one of his patients, was between the ages of 11 and 12, according to the press release.
Currently, Mogavero is being held in jail without bail. If convicted on all charges, Mogavero faces a maximum sentence of 16 years, eight months in state prison, according to the press release.
Mogavero has served for five years as a clinical professor for postdoctorate residents in the department of orthodontics at the University of Southern California and is active in the American Association of Orthodontists, the ADA, the California Dental Association, and the American Cleft Palate Craniofacial Association. Also, he is active in the community and youth sports, according to his practice website. Additionally, his site features videos of many of his patients who have competed in ESPN's X Games and other extreme sporting events.
A criminal complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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