Father of gene therapy guilty of molesting child - Times...
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Times Online - Jul 20, 2006
But yesterday the 69-year-old was found guilty of four counts of abuse towards the ... of molesting her during taekwondo lessons at his home in San Marino, ...
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San Jose Mercury News (CA) - July 20, 2006 - 4B California News
PROMINENT GENETICIST GUILTY OF MOLESTATION
World-renowned geneticist William French Anderson was convicted Wednesday of molesting the daughter of a colleague for four years, starting when the girl was 10 and she took martial arts classes at his home. Anderson, 69, is widely credited as the ''father of gene therapy,'' a promising but controversial experimental medical treatment that involves injecting healthy genes into sick patients. Anderson was convicted of one count of...
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Times Online - Jul 20, 2006
But yesterday the 69-year-old was found guilty of four counts of abuse towards the ... of molesting her during taekwondo lessons at his home in San Marino, ...
http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=SJ&s_site=mercurynews&p_multi=SJ&p_theme=realcities&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_topdoc=1&p_text_direct-0=113032E0D76D1DB8&p_field_direct-0=document_id&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D&s_trackval=GooglePM
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San Jose Mercury News (CA) - July 20, 2006 - 4B California News
PROMINENT GENETICIST GUILTY OF MOLESTATION
World-renowned geneticist William French Anderson was convicted Wednesday of molesting the daughter of a colleague for four years, starting when the girl was 10 and she took martial arts classes at his home. Anderson, 69, is widely credited as the ''father of gene therapy,'' a promising but controversial experimental medical treatment that involves injecting healthy genes into sick patients. Anderson was convicted of one count of...
>> Purchase complete article, of 131 words
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Prominent USC Geneticist Sentenced to 14 Years for Molesting Girl_AP
Saturday, 03 February 2007
In sentencing William French Anderson, the judge said: "Because of intellectual arrogance, he persisted and he got away with as much as he could."
The Associated Press reports (below) that William French Anderson, a prominent geneticist who had been called the "father of gene therapy" was sentenced to 14 years in prison for molesting a girl from the time she was about 10 years old (1997-2001).
The judge was not persuaded by defense lawyers who argued that Anderson was "a friendly mentor to the girl" or that he was being smeared by her mother, who wanted to assume Anderson's position as director of the Gene Therapies Laboratories at the University of Southern California's Keck School of Medicine.
Neither was the judge persuaded by prominent supporters, including a Nobel Prize winner, who wrote letters.
In sentencing Anderson, the judge said: "Because of intellectual arrogance, he persisted and he got away with as much as he could." Contact: Vera Hassner Sharav 212-595-8974 This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
Associated Press Feb 2, 2007
Geneticist Sentenced for Molesting Girl
By ROBERT JABLON
LOS ANGELES (AP) -- A world-renowned geneticist was sentenced Friday to 14 years in prison for molesting an employee's daughter who took martial arts classes at his home.
Many people, including a Nobel Prize winner, wrote letters in support of William French Anderson, Time magazine's runner-up for Man of the Year in 1995. But Judge Michael E. Pastor said he caused "incalculable" emotional damage to a victim he described as an insecure and trusting immigrant.
"Because of intellectual arrogance, he persisted and he got away with as much as he could," the judge said.
Anderson, 70, was convicted in July child molestation. He could have gotten 22 years behind bars.
Anderson has been called the "father of gene therapy" for his work on a promising but controversial experimental medical treatment that involves injecting healthy genes into sick patients.
He claimed to be the first person to successfully treat a patient with the therapy in 1990, though the claim has been disputed.
Prosecutors said Anderson molested the girl from 1997 to 2001, starting when she was 10.
Anderson watched intently as his victim, now 19, read a statement before he was sentenced. "Roughly three years ago, I wanted to kill myself," she said. "I couldn't live with all the pain. ... He maliciously destroyed my world to fulfill his own sick pleasures."
The judge also ordered Anderson to pay her family about $52,000 in restitution for past therapy and cover the cost of any future treatment. He also imposed fines and fees of about $16,000.
Defense attorneys argued that Anderson was a friendly mentor to the girl and was being smeared by her mother, who wanted to assume Anderson's position as director of the Gene Therapies Laboratories at the University of Southern California's Keck School of Medicine.
In e-mails and a tape-recorded conversation played for jurors during the trial, the girl angrily confronted Anderson, who told the girl, "I just did it, just something in me was just evil."
In court, Anderson said he thought the confrontation was about the emotional abuse he had inflicted on her as he pressured her to do well in school. "If you cause somebody to crash, flunk out, that's just evil," he said.
Anderson resigned from USC in September.
C 2007 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
Former Geneticist Sentenced for Molesting Colleague's San Marino Daughter LOS ANGELES, CA (CNS) -- A prominent geneticist convicted last year of molesting a girl he mentored and to whom he taught karate in his San Marino home was sentenced to 14 years in prison.
William French Anderson, 70, who has been hailed as ''the father of gene therapy,'' was convicted July 19 of one count of continuous sexual abuse with a child under 14 and three counts of lewd and lascivious acts with a child.
Anderson sexually abused the victim, now an adult who testified during the monthlong trial, over several years, beginning when she was about 9 or 10.
They met after the girl's family moved to South Pasadena from China and her mother began working for Anderson at his lab, USC Gene Therapy Laboratories. Anderson resigned from USC in September.
According to the victim, the abuse began when Anderson inappropriately touched her private parts as she was hanging from a punching bag. He later performed ''medical exams'' on the girl when she was naked, and he would thrust on top of her as she lay down, reading a comic book.
''It was not just a mentor/mentee relationship, not just a father/daughter relationship...there was the secret dirty side to that relationship,'' said Deputy District Attorney Cathryn Brougham during opening statements in Anderson's trial in June.
The attorney defending Anderson claimed the girl's mother was trying to extort Anderson by alleging he abused her when, in fact, Anderson was guilty only of pressuring the child to do well in school.
''They are going to claim this not about a lawsuit. What did she need to hire a giant international law firm for?'' attorney Barry Tarlow asked during his opening statements.
In e-mails and a tape-recorded conversation outside the South Pasadena Public Library played for jurors, the girl angrily confronts Anderson about the sexual abuse.
In the encounter outside the library, Anderson tells the girl, ''I just did it, just something in me was just evil.''
Asked about his response in court, Anderson said he thought she was referring to the emotional abuse he'd inflicted on her. ''Pressuring her, causing her to crash, ruining her life, that was evil,'' he said. ''If you cause somebody to crash, flunk out, that's just evil. When I realized she was falsely accusing me of sexual abuse, then I said whatever I had to say to get out of there.''
Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Michael E. Pastor ordered Anderson, who has been in custody since his July 19 conviction, to undergo a 90-day diagnostic evaluation prior to sentencing.
FAIR USE NOTICE: This may contain copyrighted (C ) material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. Such material is made available for educational purposes, to advance understanding of human rights, democracy, scientific, moral, ethical, and social justice issues, etc. It is believed that this constitutes a 'fair use' of any such copyrighted material as provided for in Title 17 U.S.C. section 107 of the US Copyright Law. This material is distributed without profit.
Prominent USC Geneticist Sentenced to 14 Years for Molesting Girl_AP
Saturday, 03 February 2007
In sentencing William French Anderson, the judge said: "Because of intellectual arrogance, he persisted and he got away with as much as he could."
The Associated Press reports (below) that William French Anderson, a prominent geneticist who had been called the "father of gene therapy" was sentenced to 14 years in prison for molesting a girl from the time she was about 10 years old (1997-2001).
The judge was not persuaded by defense lawyers who argued that Anderson was "a friendly mentor to the girl" or that he was being smeared by her mother, who wanted to assume Anderson's position as director of the Gene Therapies Laboratories at the University of Southern California's Keck School of Medicine.
Neither was the judge persuaded by prominent supporters, including a Nobel Prize winner, who wrote letters.
In sentencing Anderson, the judge said: "Because of intellectual arrogance, he persisted and he got away with as much as he could." Contact: Vera Hassner Sharav 212-595-8974 This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
Associated Press Feb 2, 2007
Geneticist Sentenced for Molesting Girl
By ROBERT JABLON
LOS ANGELES (AP) -- A world-renowned geneticist was sentenced Friday to 14 years in prison for molesting an employee's daughter who took martial arts classes at his home.
Many people, including a Nobel Prize winner, wrote letters in support of William French Anderson, Time magazine's runner-up for Man of the Year in 1995. But Judge Michael E. Pastor said he caused "incalculable" emotional damage to a victim he described as an insecure and trusting immigrant.
"Because of intellectual arrogance, he persisted and he got away with as much as he could," the judge said.
Anderson, 70, was convicted in July child molestation. He could have gotten 22 years behind bars.
Anderson has been called the "father of gene therapy" for his work on a promising but controversial experimental medical treatment that involves injecting healthy genes into sick patients.
He claimed to be the first person to successfully treat a patient with the therapy in 1990, though the claim has been disputed.
Prosecutors said Anderson molested the girl from 1997 to 2001, starting when she was 10.
Anderson watched intently as his victim, now 19, read a statement before he was sentenced. "Roughly three years ago, I wanted to kill myself," she said. "I couldn't live with all the pain. ... He maliciously destroyed my world to fulfill his own sick pleasures."
The judge also ordered Anderson to pay her family about $52,000 in restitution for past therapy and cover the cost of any future treatment. He also imposed fines and fees of about $16,000.
Defense attorneys argued that Anderson was a friendly mentor to the girl and was being smeared by her mother, who wanted to assume Anderson's position as director of the Gene Therapies Laboratories at the University of Southern California's Keck School of Medicine.
In e-mails and a tape-recorded conversation played for jurors during the trial, the girl angrily confronted Anderson, who told the girl, "I just did it, just something in me was just evil."
In court, Anderson said he thought the confrontation was about the emotional abuse he had inflicted on her as he pressured her to do well in school. "If you cause somebody to crash, flunk out, that's just evil," he said.
Anderson resigned from USC in September.
C 2007 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
Former Geneticist Sentenced for Molesting Colleague's San Marino Daughter LOS ANGELES, CA (CNS) -- A prominent geneticist convicted last year of molesting a girl he mentored and to whom he taught karate in his San Marino home was sentenced to 14 years in prison.
William French Anderson, 70, who has been hailed as ''the father of gene therapy,'' was convicted July 19 of one count of continuous sexual abuse with a child under 14 and three counts of lewd and lascivious acts with a child.
Anderson sexually abused the victim, now an adult who testified during the monthlong trial, over several years, beginning when she was about 9 or 10.
They met after the girl's family moved to South Pasadena from China and her mother began working for Anderson at his lab, USC Gene Therapy Laboratories. Anderson resigned from USC in September.
According to the victim, the abuse began when Anderson inappropriately touched her private parts as she was hanging from a punching bag. He later performed ''medical exams'' on the girl when she was naked, and he would thrust on top of her as she lay down, reading a comic book.
''It was not just a mentor/mentee relationship, not just a father/daughter relationship...there was the secret dirty side to that relationship,'' said Deputy District Attorney Cathryn Brougham during opening statements in Anderson's trial in June.
The attorney defending Anderson claimed the girl's mother was trying to extort Anderson by alleging he abused her when, in fact, Anderson was guilty only of pressuring the child to do well in school.
''They are going to claim this not about a lawsuit. What did she need to hire a giant international law firm for?'' attorney Barry Tarlow asked during his opening statements.
In e-mails and a tape-recorded conversation outside the South Pasadena Public Library played for jurors, the girl angrily confronts Anderson about the sexual abuse.
In the encounter outside the library, Anderson tells the girl, ''I just did it, just something in me was just evil.''
Asked about his response in court, Anderson said he thought she was referring to the emotional abuse he'd inflicted on her. ''Pressuring her, causing her to crash, ruining her life, that was evil,'' he said. ''If you cause somebody to crash, flunk out, that's just evil. When I realized she was falsely accusing me of sexual abuse, then I said whatever I had to say to get out of there.''
Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Michael E. Pastor ordered Anderson, who has been in custody since his July 19 conviction, to undergo a 90-day diagnostic evaluation prior to sentencing.
FAIR USE NOTICE: This may contain copyrighted (C ) material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. Such material is made available for educational purposes, to advance understanding of human rights, democracy, scientific, moral, ethical, and social justice issues, etc. It is believed that this constitutes a 'fair use' of any such copyrighted material as provided for in Title 17 U.S.C. section 107 of the US Copyright Law. This material is distributed without profit.