PA Pediatrician Molested 30 Children, Including Infants: AG

A 70-year-old pediatrician has been charged with sexually abusing 30 children — including some as young as two weeks old — at a Pennsylvania practice, authorities announced this week.

Dr. Johnnie Barto is facing multiple charges, including involuntary deviate sexual intercourse and multiple counts of aggravated indecent assault and related charges, Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro said at a Monday press conference.

Authorities allege Barto assaulted his patients, which were both boys and girls, in an examination room at Laurel Pediatric Associates in Cambria County, as well as at hospitals in that area.

Charges were first filed against Barto earlier this year, after authorities determined he sexually abused a 12-year-old. Further investigation revealed there were 29 additional victims, according to Shapiro.

Most victims were between 8 and 12 years old, but there were victims who were just weeks old when they were abused by the pediatrician, investigators allege. Investigators believe the abuse spans from as far back as the 1980s to as recently as this winter.

Authorities allege the doctor groped girls' breasts, and touched both male and female genitals in inappropriate ways that were completely inconsistent with standard medical protocol.

One infant girl was two weeks old when Barto sexually assaulted her, causing her to cry out in pain, according to the Attorney General. Another girl was 21 months old when Barto assaulted her on seven separate office visits, Shapiro said.

"Investigators found that the pediatrician either waited for the parents of his victims to leave the exam room, used his own body as a shield to block parents from seeing his assault on the victim or claimed the assaults were part of a standard medical exam," information from the Attorney General's office said.

The Attorney General's office has established a hotline so additional victims can come forward. (See number below.)

“Barto used his position of authority as a pediatrician – the family doctor everyone relied on to treat and heal their children – and abused it to feed his own, sick sexual desires,” Shapiro said.

Barto is currently incarcerated and his medical license has been suspended. His preliminary hearing is scheduled for Aug. 10. If convicted of the charges, he faces life in jail.

Court documents do not list an attorney for Barto. His former practice has issued a statement in an attempt to reassure patients.

"Please know that, while this is a very difficult time for all of us, our first priority remains ensuring that your family continues to receive the very best care. We ask that you continue to reassure your children that our doctors and staff are here to take care of them whenever they need us," the statement from Laurel Pediatric Associates said.

Meanwhile, Shapiro thanked the victims for coming forward and sharing their traumatizing experiences with investigators.

“I have a message for these courageous individuals, and for any person or institution that believes they can get away with sexually abusing children and covering it up. We will pursue every allegation of child sexual abuse wherever we find it – in a doctor’s office, in a school or church – and we will hold child sexual predators accountable for their crimes under Pennsylvania law," Shapiro said.

The Attorney General’s special hotline for the Barto case is 412-565-7680.

Barto booking mugshot, Cambria County