By Andy Furillo
afurillo@sacbee.com

The disgraced Dr. Scott Takasugi was sentenced to three years and eight months in state prison today on his conviction for sexually exploiting two of his patients three years ago.

Sacramento Superior Court Judge Steve White imposed the term on the 56-year-old former Kaiser plastic surgeon who twice failed to show up at his scheduled sentencing hearings, once because his father died and the other because he was in a 72-hour mental health hold.

Takasugi's attorney pleaded for the judge to sentence his client to probation, but White refused.

"I'm particularly taken by the repeat behavior involved here," the judge said. "If this were an isolated instance...and there were great contrition and full grasp of criminality, I think it would be a good case for probation. But that is not what we have here."

White called Takasugi's touching of two of his patients genitalia before he operated on them "planned behavior and repeat conduct." The judge also said that the victims were especially vulnerable because of the doctor-patient relationship that existed between them and Takasugi, which led them to accede "voluntarily to the defendant's conduct."

"They only did that because he was their doctor and they trusted him," White said.

The judge said that Takasugi "created his own world" of guns, cars and sex and that he "objectified the people around him" in the process. Takasugi manipulated his victims "for his own satisfaction and amusement," White said.

Takasugi, after being granted two continuances on his sentencing, was supposed to finally receive his term on Nov. 20, but his father died the night before in Ventura County. White then issued a bench warrant for Takasugi's arrest but stayed it until last Monday. Takasugi's lawyer, Ted W. Cassman, told the court then that his client had been placed under the 72-hour hold in a Ventura psychiatric unit, at which point White issued a warrant for Takasugi's arrest. He was returned to Sacramento on Wednesday afternoon.

Besides the prison term, White also ordered today that Takasugi register as a sex offender for the rest of his life.

Takasugi appeared in court today in a black suit and tie, but he was chained at the waist and brought in and taken out of the courtroom in shackles.

"I'm just really glad that this is done and that I can be happy again," one of Takasugi's victims told reporters outside the courtroom.