WARNING, DISTRESSING CONTENT: Joseph Clarence Cox, 44, was sentenced to 180 years after being convicted of rape, sodomy and sexual abuse following attacks at his Alabama dental practice
A depraved dentist has been hit with a colossal prison term after being found guilty of raping, sodomising and abusing staff and patients at his dental surgery – some even during their treatment.
Joseph Clarence Cox, 44, was hit with a staggering 180-year sentence for his horrifying offences by a judge, following his conviction by a local jury in January on charges including rape, sodomy and sexual abuse involving his former employees and patients.
Deputy District Attorney of Etowah County, Carol Griffith, disclosed that Cox was arrested in April 2021 after a comprehensive investigation by the Gadsden Police Department in Alabama. The trial exposed a high staff turnover rate from June 2020 to April 2021, attributed to Cox’s inappropriate sexual conduct with employees.
Eight ex-employees testified about repeated instances of sexual abuse by Cox during regular office hours. Two of these employees informed the jury the incidents escalated beyond mere touching, involving cases of forcible rape and sodomy.
Three former patients also gave evidence Cox subjected them to sexual contact while he was performing their dental procedures. They recounted their distressing experiences before the jury, reports the Mirror.
Cox was found guilty by a jury of two counts of first-degree rape, two counts of first-degree sodomy, and eight counts of first-degree sexual abuse after a week-long trial, as reported by ABC.
Cox had previously confessed to three counts of Harassment in Dekalb County in 2012, following similar accusations. These offences led to a probation sentence, and his dental licence was put on hold for six months.During the sentencing, Circuit Judge George Day lambasted Cox for treating his workplace like his personal playground and showing no regard for any woman who stepped into his office. Cox was slapped with a 25-year prison term for each count of First Degree Rape and Sodomy.
He was also given a 10-year state prison sentence for each charge of First Degree Sexual Abuse. Judge Day ruled that these sentences should be served one after the other, not simultaneously, as concurrent sentences would not provide justice for the victims. As a result, the sentences add up to a total of 180 years behind bars.
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