For nearly 20 years, children have been accusing Tacoma dentist Dr. George C. Brain of assaulting them, threatening them, choking off their airways.

Despite that, KIRO Team 7 Investigative Reporter Chris Halsne discovered he remains one of the highest paid, tax-funded dentists in Washington.

The complaint filed against Dr. Brain is substantial, but we found an equally long history of inaction from those in charge of protecting young patients.

Dr. George Brain pulls teeth and fills cavities for low-income children, but he doesn't do it for charity.

Last year alone, the state tells KIRO Team 7 Investigators, it paid him around $1.5 million for the work.

Just a few months ago, Brooke Laducer was sitting just outside Dr. Brain's workspace, listening to her two children cry.

Their tears surprised her because 5-year-old Cameron was just supposed to get a small cavity filled. Courtney, 8, was only scheduled for sealants.

Laducer says she went and asked her daughter, “Oh my gosh. What is wrong? And he (Dr. Brain) said, ‘Well, we went ahead and pulled her tooth'. I'm thinking, OK. She's in there for sealants, not to have a tooth pulled and a 'filling' put in front of the tooth that was pulled?”

Laducer was upset with the unauthorized work, but was flat out shocked about what she saw next: Cameron had a face and neck notched with bloody cuts, then -- within hours -- a massive infection appeared inside the little boy's mouth.

Laducer tells KIRO Team 7 Investigative Reporter Chris Halsne, “A part of me was angry. I could feel myself getting into that shaky mode, where mom wants to step into action and figure out what is going on.”

Laducer this week filed a formal licensing complaint against Dr. Brain, but isn't the first mother to wonder what happened in this dentist’s chair.

KIRO Team 7 Investigators uncovered nine criminal complaints filed (by parents) with Tacoma police, all accusing Dr. George Brain of assaulting children while performing dental work.

Accusations include:

(1988) "choked/shoved" a 6-year-old girl
"assault" on a 9-year-old boy

(1995) boy complains "Brain grabbed him by the throat.."

(1996) boy claims "Brain had struck (him) on the forehead with a dental tool"

(1997) 6-year-old girl says "Brain pulled her hair."

(2001) 9-year-old girl says "Brain held her down", "squeezed her around her ribs", and "covered her mouth" so she "couldn't breath."

“It’s a child, for God’s sake!”, responds Rebecca Kather.

Also in 2001, she called police after her 7-year-old son said Dr. Brain was "forcefully covering his mouth," causing breathing problems and a cut lip.

Kather still tears up talking about Dr Brain.

“You know, I just don't have any words for it. I get so upset inside, I just, if I were to show what I feel inside, I'd probably be put in prison. I get so upset, I just want to cry.”

The first eight police complaints against Dr. Brain did not turn into charges. The ninth one did: assault of a child in the second degree.

In 2003, a young girl complained Dr. Brain choked her and pulled two teeth without permission.

Assistant Pierce County Prosecutor Mary Robnett confirmed that office took action after seeing Dr. Brain’s previous complaints file.

“There had been a series of police reports, a series of complaints about this particular dentist. This child had a mark under her neck that seemed to corroborate her report that she had been grabbed around the neck and restrained.”

But Robnett adds, despite Dr. Brain's thick file, her office couldn't get a conviction.

“The reality of it is, to claim that a child was hurt or handled roughly by a dentist during a dental exam is just an insurmountable for us to prove to a jury.”

The state licensing board picked up the 2003 case and lightly disciplined Dr. Brain. He remains on “indefinite monitoring" and asked to take an "anger management evaluation."

Brooke Laducer says, “The kids will never go back there. Ever.” She adds it's too bad the state didn't do more to protect her son, especially considering Cameron is now terrified of every dentist.

Dr. Brain's attorney says his client has no comment.

We did, however, discover a little insight into what Dr. Brain thinks about the repeated accusations against him.

In 2003, Tacoma police wrote:

"Dr. Brain stated that he treats wild kids, the children that nobody else wants. They come from welfare families that are possibly seeking to make some money through fraudulent claims."

For the record, we can't find evidence that any of the nine criminal complaints sued or collected a dime from Dr. Brain for their alleged mistreatment.

The Laducer family’s new complaint is now in the hands of the Dental Quality Assurance Commission. We'll follow that case if it develops.