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Dental Assistant Facing Sex Charges Sued Again

SAN DIEGO (CN) — More women have come forward claiming to have been sexually molested by a former dental assistant while they were under anesthesia, joining a dozen other victims identified by the San Diego District Attorney's Office.

Jessica T., Pamela B. and Lisa P. filed separate civil suits in San Diego Superior Court on July 22 claiming sexual battery and negligence. They sued the Park Blvd. Oral Surgery Center, its owner dentist Steve Podstreleny and former dental assistant Luis Ramos.

The true identities of the women were withheld in their initial filings to protect the plaintiffs from "unwarranted and unwanted publicity, sensationalism or attention."

The women all claim Ramos violated them while they were under anesthesia, with Jessica and Pamela claiming they developed herpes after being molested by Ramos.

Jessica claims that she woke up from oral surgery in August 2015, and "felt as if her body had been violated," according to her complaint. A few days later, she developed herpes symptoms and claims she could not have contracted the disease from someone else since she had been sexually inactive for two years prior to coming into contact with Ramos.

Pamela went to the surgery center twice, first in May 2013 and again in October 2015. At her first surgery, Pamela claims that she woke up from the anesthesia to find her bra was undone and had been put on backwards. Ramos had administered her anesthesia at both appointments. Pamela was diagnosed with herpes in February of this year, which she claims to have contracted by Ramos.

Lisa claims that at her April 8, 2015 surgery she felt Ramos' hands "pushing her down" as the anesthesia began to wear off.

Ramos first came under fire when a 17-year-old girl came forward in February, claiming she woke up at the center to Ramos touching her. Surveillance cameras and footage was seized by authorities, who say the footage shows Ramos touching the teen and a host of other victims.

Ramos is being held without bail and faces multiple counts of felony sexual battery of an institutionalized victim, misdemeanor sexual battery and felony sexual penetration of a person under an anesthetic, according to jail records.

The women claim that the center should have known about Ramos' abusive behavior because it had received complaints about Ramos being "sexually inappropriate" with other female patients prior to their surgeries and subsequent sexual assaults. One of the complaints even requested video surveillance tape be preserved, according to the lawsuits.

Security cameras were installed throughout the center as "an extra layer of protection" and as "an effort of transparency," yet the center failed to monitor the security camera footage and to supervise Ramos. The center also failed to warn patients of the complaints against Ramos, and had they known about the allegations against him, they would have not gotten surgery at the center, the women claim.

The surgery center suspended Ramos in January 2014 when a San Diego Police Department detective informed the center of allegations against Ramos, the women claim. The complaint does not clarify when Ramos returned to work after his initial suspension, however, as most of the allegations occurred in 2015.

The women also claim Podstreleny and the center negligently supervised Ramos when he administered the anesthesia, saying the center failed to have in place or enforce rules or regulations which would have required a third person be present whenever a patient is rendered unconscious by anesthesia.

Jessica, Pamela and Lisa are represented by Mary Bajo with Estey & Bomberger, who did not return phone and email requests for comment.

The Park Blvd. Oral Surgery center is represented by David Burke with Neil Dymott, who did not return a phone request for comment.

Ramos' next court appearance is scheduled for Aug. 26.

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