A depraved dentist has been handed an extensive prison term after being found guilty of sexually assaulting and mistreating both employees and patients at his dental clinic, with some incidents occurring during treatment sessions.
Joseph Clarence Cox, aged 44, was sentenced to 180 years in prison for his appalling offenses, which included rape, sodomy, and sexual abuse. The sentencing followed a local jury convicting him in January on various charges related to his misconduct with former staff members and patients.
Deputy District Attorney Carol Griffith disclosed that Cox was apprehended in April 2021 after a comprehensive investigation by the Gadsden Police Department in Alabama. The investigation uncovered a significant turnover rate among his employees from June 2020 to April 2021, attributed to Cox’s inappropriate sexual conduct towards his staff.
Former employees testified about multiple instances of sexual abuse by Cox during office hours, with two employees recounting incidents of rape and sodomy. Additionally, three former patients testified that Cox engaged in inappropriate sexual behavior with them during dental procedures.
Cox was convicted by a jury on two counts of first-degree rape, two counts of first-degree sodomy, and eight counts of first-degree sexual abuse following a week-long trial. Notably, Cox had previously admitted to harassment charges in 2012, resulting in a probation sentence and a temporary suspension of his dental license.
During the sentencing, Circuit Judge George Day condemned Cox for his egregious actions, describing his workplace behavior as disrespectful towards women. Cox was sentenced to 25 years in prison for each count of first-degree rape and sodomy, and ten years for each charge of first-degree sexual abuse, with the judge ordering the sentences to be served consecutively, totaling 180 years behind bars.