SAN ANTONIO – Parents were left stunned after a West Side pediatrician was arrested and charged with aggravated sexual assault of a child.
Gabriel Moses Perez, 50, is accused of sexually assaulting a 13-year-old boy during his annual exam while his parent was outside of the room, according to an arrest affidavit obtained by KSAT on Saturday.
The boy is the only known victim at this time, the San Antonio Police Department said Friday, but detectives believe there may be additional victims.
Anyone who believes they may have been a victim, or knows someone who might be a victim, is urged to contact the Special Victims Unit.
Nicole and Michael Skilling have two children who they said have been Perez’s patients for years at CentroMed SA Pediatrics on Culebra Road.
“This was somebody that we did trust,” Nicole Skilling said.
Perez was listed on the practice’s website alongside a photo of the pediatrician on Saturday morning, but was removed prior to the publication of this report.
Another parent, who asked not to be identified, said she had three children who saw Perez.
“I was completely shocked to be very honest with you,” the parent said. “He’s been a part of my kid’s life for 14 years and never once did I ever question anything.”
Perez allegedly performed several sexual acts on the 13-year-old boy in 2022 after asking his mother to step out of the room, according to the affidavit. The boy first started seeing Perez when he was 5 or 6 years old.
Additionally, Perez told investigators that he would give hugs and kisses to multiple patients “whenever he felt that they were stressed.” He has denied all other allegations.
“I referred not only my friends but I founded a nonprofit and referred so many teen parents,” said Marianna Sanchez, another parent whose children were patients of Perez. “I feel so much guilt for that.”
Perez received a formal complaint in February 2024, stemming from an incident with a 17-year-old boy, according to the affidavit.
However, online Texas Medical Board records show Perez’s license remained active at the time of publication.
KSAT reached out to the Texas Medical Board and Centro Med for comment on Saturday, but did not receive a response before the deadline.
EDITOR’S NOTE: If you or someone you know has experienced sexual assault, you are not alone. Click here for a list of resources available to sex crime survivors in San Antonio.
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