Jaydeep Patel, a 31-year-old man of Indian origin, who is a former behavioural health technician at Phoenix Children’s Hospital in the United States, was arrested for his alleged involvement in child pornography. During the search police found more than 1200 photos and videos related to child pornography in his electronic devices.
The arrest came on July 17 after police received tips from multiple users on social media platforms. According to a report by AZCentral, he was charged with nine counts of sexually exploiting a minor, and each charge is considered a serious crime (class two felony). Fox 10 added that the tips came from an internet service provider known for a mobile chat platform where users exchange messages, images, and videos.
According to court documents, police formally served Jaydeep Patel a search warrant for his home and electronic devices linked to him. In some of the chat logs, he openly requested child sexual abuse materials for his sexual gratification. Officers involved in the investigation also found several transcripts of explicit messages that Patel allegedly sent, the contents of which were graphic.
However, the Phoenix Hospital maintained that Patel had cleared all the background checks at the time of hiring. “The safety of our patients and their families is our top priority. In accordance with our policies, we conduct thorough background checks during the pre-employment screening process and at regular intervals for current employees. This individual is no longer employed with us, and we are in full cooperation with law enforcement officials,” reads the statement.
It was also reported that a judge has reportedly set a cash-only appearance bond of $100,000 for Patel.
