Ernesto Cesar Torres

By Zak Failla From Daily Voice

A former Frederick pediatrician who spent decades treating children in Maryland will now spend decades in prison after a jury found he sexually abused a young patient during multiple exams, according to the Frederick County State’s Attorney’s Office.

Ernesto Cesar Torres, 74, of Frederick, was sentenced Monday, Dec. 8, to 30 years with the Division of Corrections after being found guilty of sexual abuse of a minor and multiple counts of third-degree sex offense, prosecutors said.

Torres received credit for 2,087 days already served.

Prosecutors said Torres faced more than 97 criminal charges for allegedly abusing dozens of juvenile patients over four decades. The court severed the indictment by victim, and the state proceeded on charges for victim "M.H.", who reported abuse that occurred between ages 9 and 11.

A Frederick County jury found Torres guilty on all counts for M.H. on March 20, 2025.

The case began in 2019, when the mother of an 11-year-old girl contacted Frederick Police to report that her child had been abused during a pediatric exam. 

She told investigators she brought her daughter to Torres for treatment of a mild skin issue, but her daughter later said the doctor “made her uncomfortable by placing his hand down her pants and touching her ‘down there.’” 

Prosecutors said the victim also described Torres rubbing her stomach repeatedly and kissing her during the exam.

After the family switched pediatric practices, the Child Advocacy Center conducted a forensic interview in which the victim said Torres “slid his hands down her pants and rubbed the child’s vaginal area with his palm and fingers.” 

Torres was arrested at his medical office shortly afterward.

At sentencing, M.H. told the court, “I now can’t trust male authority. My childhood was taken away from me.”

Her mother also addressed the judge, saying, “For 15 years, my children saw him regularly. I trusted him. I had no idea what my child was living through. My trust in him was shattered, and I will carry this pain for the rest of my life; I still carry the guilt.”

State’s Attorney Charlie Smith called the case “a story of perseverance." 

“Neither would be discouraged or dissuaded, and now this child predator will spend 25 more years in jail," he said. 

"What he had to say about the victims at sentencing was one of the most disgusting things I've ever endured in a courtroom. The only thing demonic about this case is this defendant's actions.”

When Torres is released, he will serve five years of supervised probation, must register as a Tier III sex offender, is barred from contacting victims or their families, and will be under lifetime supervision on the registry.