Ex-UMC tech gets sentence for crimes against patients

By Matt Pordum (contact)

Thursday, July 14, 2005 | 9:28 a.m.

A former radiological services technician who was described as "a pure predator" by a prosecutor was sentenced to three to 12 years in prison Wednesday for robbing and molesting patients at University Medical Center.

Before District Judge Lee Gates sentenced Eduardo Licon, however, Gates first rejected Licon's attempt to withdraw his guilty plea and go to trial.

On April 29 Licon entered an Alford plea to two counts of possession of stolen property -- rings that had been stolen off the fingers of patients -- and one count of attempted sexual assault.

Under an Alford plea a defendant technically does not admit guilt but agrees that prosecutors could prove their case at trial.

Licon was originally charged with one count of robbery of a victim over 65, possession of stolen property, two counts of sexual assault, one count of open and gross lewdness, and several counts of theft.

The two counts of sexual assault stemmed from a patient at UMC who said she was fondled by Licon while she was in the hospital in June 2003 for treatment of stomach ailment.

Licon's attorney, Greg Denue, said although Licon understood the nature of his no contest plea he "maintains his innocence" and wanted to stand trial.

Deputy District Attorney Becky Goettsch said she didn't believe Licon thought he was innocent. He just wanted to withdraw his plea because the Department of Parole and Probation recommended prison time, Goettsch argued.

Gates agreed with Goettsch saying if every defendant withdrew their pleas upon learning prison time was being recommended "we'd never have sentencings."

Goettsch argued for the maximum sentence for Licon -- which would have meant consecutive sentences adding up to 5 to 18 years in prison -- as she recounted the details of the crimes.

Licon had been employed by UMC for two years. He worked as a radiological services technician. Those duties include moving and positioning patients for X-rays.

The prosecutor said one of Licon's victims' was dying from leukemia when he pulled the rings off her fingers. The rings were later found buried in Licon's backyard, Goettsch said.

Goettsch said another victim said Licon told her, "I'm here to take X-rays and you have to take off your rings." The victim saw Licon put the rings in his pocket and leave with them, Goettsch said.

She next detailed the sexual assaults Licon committed saying he would fondle and molest the women as he was assisting them out of bed, while they were in bed and also while he helped them on and off the X-ray machine.

"He was a hospital employee who was using the patients as his own little social club," Goettsch said. "He went to the hospital as a pure predator. His behavior is predatory. It's just gross and very dangerous."

One of Licon's victims told Gates, "I was there (UMC) to get help, but instead I was hurt. He (Licon) took advantage of me, he molested me."

"He preys on the weak, woman that were helpless at the time," she said.

The woman cried as she said she requires continued therapy due to the incident and that she has "good days and bad."

She said incident has even affected her son, who she said blames himself because he thinks "he should have been able to protect me."

Goettsch said Licon had been arrested in Texas for allegedly exposing himself, but she was uncertain whether Licon had been convicted in connection with the case.

When given an opportunity to speak Licon said, "I'm innocent." He told Gates he didn't rob the female patients in question and instead bought the jewelry from someone else who worked at UMC.

Licon also said he didn't molest the other victims and attempted to bolster his defense by claiming one of the women had AIDS and since he doesn't have it he could not be the person who sexually assaulted her.

Licon's statements didn't sit well with Gates.

"We know you are guilty of counts one and two because the jewelry was found in your backyard," Gates told Licon. "All of these people identify you as being the perpetrator of these sexual assaults, and you come in here and say scandalous stuff about them, accuse them of having infectious diseases."

The judge said Licon has obviously failed to accept responsibility and agreed he was a "high risk to re-offend."

Although Gates' words were harsh, he failed to run the counts consecutively as the Department of Parole and Probation and the prosecutor had recommended.