44 More Charges of Child Abuse Filed Against Ramona Man

Forty-four more counts of child molestation were filed Monday against Ezra John Adams of Ramona, suspected of being at the center of what has been called the largest child molestation case in the history of San Diego County.

Adams, 42, who is jailed in lieu of $500,000 bail, faces 239 counts of child molestation involving six girls, including sodomy, oral copulation and unlawful intercourse with a minor.

Deputy Dist. Atty. Aaron Katz said Adams is suspected in the molestations of four other girls, but he will not be charged because the statute of limitations has elapsed.

The heavy-equipment operator pleaded not guilty on the additional charges before a preliminary hearing that began Monday.

The prosecutor asked San Diego Municipal Judge Richard Hanscom to close the hearing to the public during testimony by four of the six young victims he plans to bring to court.

Marriage, family and child therapist Paul Mundt testified that the four girls, ages 8 to 13 years, would suffer serious psychological harm with the presence of more people in the courtroom.

Hanscom closed the hearing to the press and public for the four witnesses only, and the hearing will reopen later in the week.

“This is not a routine, ordinary case or situation,” Hanscom said. “This is the greatest number of charges . . . (of) any similar case I have ever seen.”

The public was allowed to hear testimony by the first witness, a 17-year-old senior at Escondido High School, who said Adams molested her on two occasions in September, 1983, and took pictures of her partly nude body the day after he assaulted her the second time. The girl said she let Adams touch her because she was frightened by Adams.

Two more girls testified Monday, and two more are expected today.