An East Valley pediatric dentist is facing criminal charges after prosecutors say he failed to report allegations that one of his dental assistants sexually abused a child patient.
The Maricopa County Attorney’s Office announced that Dr. Walter Villanueva was indicted last month in connection with the ongoing criminal investigation involving former dental assistant Deion Garcia.
Garcia, who worked at Villanueva’s pediatric dental office in Chandler, has already been charged with multiple sex crimes involving child patients.
According to prosecutors, the case began after a mother contacted Villanueva in September 2022 and accused Garcia of molesting her 6-year-old daughter during a dental exam. Authorities say Arizona’s mandatory reporting laws require medical professionals to immediately notify law enforcement or child welfare officials when they receive allegations of child abuse.
Investigators allege Villanueva never reported the accusations to authorities.
A state grand jury indicted the dentist on April 9 on one count of failure to report nonaccidental injuries and physical neglect of minors, prosecutors said.
Garcia was separately indicted in May 2024 on charges including child molestation, sexual conduct with a minor and sexual exploitation of a minor stemming from alleged incidents in both 2022 and 2024.
Court records show Garcia later entered a guilty plea to sexual conduct with a minor in April. He is scheduled to be sentenced on June 10.
The case has renewed attention on Arizona’s mandatory reporting requirements for healthcare workers, which are intended to ensure allegations involving child abuse are promptly investigated by authorities.
