A Serial Psychiatrist Child Molester was Stripped of Lifetime Achievement Award

William Ayres, 81, pleaded no contest in May to eight counts of molestation connected to five male former patients between the ages of 9 and 13 under the guise of medical exams. He faces between eight and 22 years in prison when sentenced in August and, shortly after his plea change, Supervisor Dave Pine requested his county honor be reversed. His span of child molestation spread out over decades, but due to statute of limitations he eventually plead no contest in the more recent offenses 1988 to 1996. Victims went as far back as the early 70’s.
According to the San Mateo Journal, Ayres was well known as president of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and for hosting the sex education series “Time of Your Life.” Ayres also received juvenile court referrals, all of which contributed to the Board of Supervisors in January 2002 adopting the resolution honoring his “efforts to improve the lives of children and adolescents. The Board of Directors has egg on their face for that award.
Ayres has been skirting the law for years and years, as the county never looked or saw or did follow-up with referred juveniles. Recently he attempted to evade prosecution by claiming dementia. There was a hung jury in 2009, and Napa State Hospital had William Ayres under evaluation, and they concluded he had been exaggerating dementia to avoid a second trial. He went on that second trial and eventually plead no contest.
For decades Dr. William Ayres treated young children under the approval of San Mateo County Juvenile probation programs. For decades he used his license and influence in the community to continually molest the most vulnerable.
If you hear that a psychiatrist can evaluate you based on your behavior and actions, well none of Ayres colleagues could make a simple evaluation that could have saved a youth. At the age of 81 Ayres may get 22 years, but his victims have a lifetime of pain, confusion, and deplorable memories. Like many victims of the failed science call psychiatry they go onto other psychiatrists, who have only one solution. “I have this drug”.