FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) - During a bond hearing on Wednesday, a judge a South Florida pediatrician to stay away from children following his arrest on child pornography charges.
Judge Corey Amanda Cawthon set bond at $30,000 for Dr. Michael Mizrachy, 49. He will be allowed supervised visitation with his two children, including one under the age of 18, she ruled.
The Broward Sheriff’s Office arrested Mizrachy on Tuesday. The agency received a tip in June that he might be in possession of child pornography, officials said. The tipster also said the physician, who worked at West Broward Pediatrics, could possibly be distributing child porn.
The practice issued a statement on Wednesday, saying Mizrachy was terminated last year.
“We are shocked and deeply disturbed by these accusations,” the statement said. “We have no evidence that any crimes were committed in the course of his professional duties. We have been in close communication with our patient families, referral sources and others to reaffirm our absolute commitment to the health and well-being of our patients.”
The sheriff’s office said in a statement released Tuesday night that detectives had located a video depicting child pornography.
“In addition to the initial video described in the tip, detectives located several photos depicting what appear to be young children in their bathing suits, underwear or shorts in which none of the children appear to be aware the photos were being taken,” the statement said.
In October, detectives got a search warrant for Mizrachy’s home in Parkland. Officials said Mizrachy used an app to chat with a child who was 15 at the time, which also included sexually explicit photographs.
He was booked into jail on Tuesday afternoon, and faces two counts of possession of sexual performance by a child and one count of computer pornography.
As a condition of his release from jail, Mizrachy surrendered his passport, the South Florida SunSentinel reported.
Jail records did not list a lawyer for Mizrachy.
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