SANTA CRUZ — Dr. John William “Bill” Visher, a child psychologist, found guilty of committing lewd acts with a minor, was handed a sentence of 16 years behind bars Tuesday.
Visher, 70, had been held on a $1 million bail on suspicion of committing lewd acts in 2009 with a minor under the age of 14, who was his client. Additional charges include displaying harmful matter, being in possession of obscene matter and child pornography, Capitola Police Detective Sarah Ryan said.
One victim was an 8-year-old girl at the time.
According to court records, Visher was charged with 16 felony counts of lewd acts involving minors for more than a decade.
“You stole my youth,” said one young woman in Superior Court Tuesday who chose to not offer her name to the media. “I didn’t have friendships; I felt like people were going to hurt me. It made me a completely different person. Most of my teen life was destroyed. What happened to me changed my life; it altered my life.”
Visher was initially arrested at his La Selva Beach home in September 2012 by Capitola Police following a lengthy investigation regarding suspected sexual abuse. As the investigation unfolded a search warrant was issued and investigators searched Visher’s office on Bay Avenue in Capitola.
Visher’s bail was boosted to $1 million because of the severity and quantity of charges against him, which include about 1,200 images of “extreme” child pornography. A search warrant was also conducted on Visher’s residence.
Due to potential patient/therapist privileges that exist, a “special master” was appointed by the court to review all items seized during the investigation, Ryan said. Due to the complex nature of the investigation, members of the District Attorney’s Office and the Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office assisted in the investigation.
Since Visher is a licensed clinical psychologist the state licensing board that oversees the licensing of psychologists was notified of the investigation and the ultimate arrest.
According to the California Board of Psychology, Visher was first licensed to practice psychology in California on Aug. 2, 1982. He surrendered his license in August 2016.
“My daughter was carrying a vicious secret,” said one woman in Superior Court to Judge Stephen Siegel Tuesday. “He took away her ability to sleep. Visher ripped away her innocence. She has fought the demons of post traumatic stress of abuse. She did not know how to deal with the pain and has attempted suicide many times. Visher has stolen her childhood.”
Visher ended up pleading to seven counts of child molestation and one count of possessing child pornography.
Assistant District Attorney Johanna Schonfield said she felt the sentencing would help bring some degree of closure for the victims and their families.
