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BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) — One of the chief pediatricians at a respected children's hospital has been detained for allegedly producing and distributing child pornography, Argentine authorities said Wednesday.
The Security Ministry said in a statement that police detained the 55-year-old doctor Tuesday at the Juan P. Garrahan children's hospital in Buenos Aires. Officials said he was detained with help from the FBI and authorities in Brazil as part of a joint operation to break up a child pornography ring.
The doctor is accused of producing and distributing child pornography, including images of 6-month-old babies taken at the hospital.
The man's name was not disclosed, but authorities said he works as head of the Garrahan hospital's immunology and rheumatology department. He could not be reached for comment despite calls to the hospital, the security ministry and other officials.
The hospital said the doctor had been removed from his post. "The hospital community is mobilized and dismayed waiting for information to clear up what happened," a statement said.
A specialized prosecutor's unit in charge of the investigation said they found "photos and videos of minors between six months and 14 years of age engaged in explicit sexual activities" on two computers owned by the doctor.
Authorities said they seized computers and other equipment when they raided dozens of homes, including the doctor's. So far, he is the only one who has been detained although officials said they expected to detain others in the case.
"We got a report and carried out raids where we seized computers and flash drives," said the Buenos Aires city justice secretary, Marcelo D'Alessandro. "And we found convincing evidence that the children were being abused."
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