Child psychiatrist pleads not guilty to molestation
At his re-arraignment Thursday, a prominent child psychiatrist pleaded not guilty to molesting patients after a judge ruled that there was enough evidence for him to stand trial.
Dr. William Ayres, 75, pleaded not guilty to 20 counts of lewd and lascivious behavior on a child under 14 between 1988 and 1996. The charges involve seven alleged victims.
He initially pleaded not guilty to 21 charges, but a San Mateo County Superior Court judge reduced the counts to 20, saying that one alleged victim claimed he was touched inappropriately once, not twice, as investigators first believed. Ayres’ trial is set to begin March 10.
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