Fugitive Dentist Gets 7-Year Prison Sentence for Sexual Assault

Alexander Emil Ross, a former Austin dentist who spent nearly two decades on the run from authorities before finally being arrested in Panama last year, has been sentenced to seven years in prison for assaulting a young patient.

Ross, 67, was charged in 1998 with multiple accounts: aggravated sexual assault of a child, indecency with a child by sexual contact, attempted indecency with a child, and practicing dentistry without a license.

According to a report in the Statesman, Ross was the president of a corporation that owned dental centers serving low-income patients in Travis County, Austin, TX.

He mainly practiced dentistry in the south and southeast part of the city.

Police said two of Ross’s victims, young girls ages 9 and 12, accused him of inappropriately touching them during their dentist appointments. One girl reported Ross paid her $4.55 to keep quiet about the incident.

He fled the country after being formally charged, but was caught in Panama and extradited to the US in 2015.

He faced up to life in prison, and must also be registered as a sex offender for the rest of his life.

Ross pleaded guilty to one account of aggravated sexual assault in court Thursday; he was not convicted on the offenses of indecency.

His attorney, Mindy Montford, attributed the shorter plea-bargained seven-year sentence primarily to Ross’s old age.

His health is currently deteriorating — Ross had suffered two heart attacks while behind bars.