CLEVELAND -- The Parma doctor sentenced in 2004 to serve 45 years for sexually abusing his patients was resentenced Tuesday to serve only 11 years in prison.
Judge Shirley Strickland Saffold resentenced Dr. Assam Ahmed, 65, of Moreland Hills, to 11 years in prison for abusing about 30 patients.
His attorneys had filed for the resentencing on May 15.
Saffold was the judge who had given him the initial sentence eight years ago.
Considering the time Ahmed has already served, he will now be released in two years and eight months.
Prosecutors, who said Ahmed raped one patient and fondled others during their gynecological exams, said they plan to appeal the latest sentence.
It all started back in 2002 when a patient of Ahmed's contacted police, saying that, during her Aug. 9 visit, Ahmed "crossed the line."
Ahmed worked in private practice in a Parma office and also had offices in Twinsburg in Summit County and Newbury in Geauga County.
He had privileges at several hospitals throughout Northeast Ohio.
In addition to his private practice, he was chief of gynecology at South Pointe Hospital and had been elected chairman of the obstetrics and gynecology department at Parma Community General Hospital.
During his trial, a total of 34 women testified against Ahmed, and at least 8 former patients sued him for malpractice.
He was originally charged with 53 counts. The indictments covered patients who had examinations that took place in Ahmed's offices in Parma, Twinsburg and Newbury Township during 2001 and 2002.
He was found guilty of two rapes, 11 sexual impostions and seven sexual batteries. He was acquitted of 33 counts of sexual battery and sexual imposition.
WKYC-TV