Florida Doctor Faces Child Porn Charges
Many people are arrested for child porn after lengthy investigations and this was recently the case in Jupiter. A doctor who had been practicing medicine for decades was recently arrested on several child porn charges.
The 70-year-old man was taken into police custody on April 9 and is facing three total charges: two counts of possessing child pornography and one count of transmitting pornography. The South Florida Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force began their investigation of the doctor in late November after receiving a tip from the National Center of Missing and Exploited Children. Apple had notified investigators that four files containing suspected child abuse material were sent to and from email accounts belonging to the man.
Further investigation linked the IP address to the man’s three-story townhome. Detectives obtained a search warrant and searched the man’s home. There, they found multiple electronic devices, including an iPhone, an IPad, an Apple desktop computer, two USB drives, and an external hard drive. These devices revealed more than 20 explicit images of children. Some of the children were as young as 4 years old.
The man admitted to transmitting the child porn files from one personal device to another. However, he denied sharing the files with anyone else. He also told investigators that he did not create any of the images.
The man was arrested and released from the Palm Beach County Jail on April 10 after posting $50,000 bail. At his hearing, he was ordered by a judge to have no contact with children and to surrender his passport to his attorney.
The man is an ear, nose and throat specialist who has a practice near Jupiter Medical Center. He has been in practice for more than 30 years. However, he is no longer a staff employee of the hospital and will no longer have privileges to use its facilities.
Being attracted to children is known as being one of the most vile qualities of a person. Pedophilia is seen as “gross” and “disgusting.” But those who view child porn are not necessarily pedophiles. They may be interested in looking at it just for kicks. They may want to see for themselves what makes it so abhorrent.
Pedophilia is misunderstood. The term describes an attraction, not an action. It is not the same as abuse and using the two terms interchangeably fuels misperceptions. Interestingly, pedophilia is determined in the womb. Environmental factors tend to influence whether someone acts on an urge to abuse. Also, not all people who sexually abuse children are pedophiles.
Contact a Legal Professional for Help
This goes to show that anyone can be charged with child porn. Doctors are often seen as trusted professionals but they are human and often struggle with porn addiction issues.
If you are facing criminal charges, seek legal help from a Florida child pornography lawyer from the Law Offices of Gilbert A. Schaffnit. We are available 24/7 to assist you with your case. Schedule a consultation today by calling (352) 505-1799 or filling out the online form.
Source:
palmbeachpost.com/story/news/local/jupiter/2024/04/11/longtime-jupiter-doctor-arrested-on-child-porn-possession-charges-thomas-lipin-south-florida/73279021007/
