Ex-Professor Sentenced to 12 Years for Molestation

A former university professor was sentenced to 12 years in state prison Wednesday in a sexual molestation case that developed after photographs showing graphic abuse of a Newport Beach girl were found discarded on a Los Angeles street.

Ronald Ruskjer, 44, a onetime faculty member at Loma Linda University’s School of Public Health, apologized for the crime during a statement before a San Bernardino Superior Court judge.

His girlfriend, Evelyn (Evie) Bacilio, 33, a former secretary for an Ontario medical supply company, was sentenced Tuesday to six years in prison after begging forgiveness from the child’s parents.

Ruskjer and Bacilio pleaded guilty in April to multiple felony counts of sexually abusing the 4-year-old girl and taking sexually explicit photographs of her. The defendants, who lived in the San Bernardino County community of Grand Terrace, were arrested Oct. 8 after tipsters identified them as the suspects in the case.

The case began to unfold in October when someone turned over to police 11 photographs that had been found on the street. Police believe that the photos were thrown from Ruskjer’s car by someone who had stolen the vehicle.

Although state law prohibits distributing pictures showing sex with children, police won court permission to release three edited photos to the news media in the hope that someone would recognize the adults or the girl.

Within hours, police received about 40 calls identifying Ruskjer and Bacilio as the suspects. Other tips led authorities to the identity of the girl. Police arrested Ruskjer in Detroit. Bacilio was arrested in Las Vegas.

Authorities said the photographs were taken Jan. 9, 1993, at Ruskjer’s home while Bacilio was baby-sitting the child. Detectives say the girl has no memory of being assaulted.

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The Associated Press contributed to this story.